What percentage of Americans approve of the Supreme Court?

Aug 20

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

Based on the data from the chart above, since 2000, identify the highest approval and the lowest approval of the U.S. Supreme Court?
Based on the data from the chart above, describe one trend in the approval of the U.S. Supreme Court since 2000.
Sixty-two percent of Americans approved of the job the Supreme Court was doing in Gallup’s initial 2000 reading, and majorities typically approved of the job the court was doing through 2010. Since then, ratings have mostly been in the 40% range, in part because of greater party polarization. Party approval ratings of the court (Republicans versus Democrats) differed by 18 points on average between 2000 and 2010, but the gap has nearly doubled since then, averaging 32 points. What do you think best explains the Court’s negative approval trend?
A student named Hans said that the Supreme Court’s approval rating is irrelevant. What fact about the U.S. Supreme Court supports Hans’s claim?
The Court opens its annual term on the first Monday in October. How do you plan on celebrating this year’s start of the Supreme Court?
Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Supreme Court is handling its job?
What is the Supreme Court’s job, anyway?
Describe how partisan identification impacts opinion of the Court?*
The Court currently consists of 6 Republicans and 3 Democrats; 6 males and 3 females, and 2 non-Whites and 7 Whites. Why do you think the Court is so unrepresentative of America.
“John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.” was famously uttered by President Andrew Jackson in response to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall’s 1832 decision in Worcester v. Georgia. What did President Jackson mean?

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

John Roberts is the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice. Contact him and explain one thing he could do to improve the favorability of the U.S. Supreme Court: