What percentage of Americans approve of the Supreme Court?
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.
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?
Learning Extension
Check out the latest Gallup polling data on American views of the Supreme Court.
Action Extension
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:
Visual Extension*
If you liked today’s bell ringer, become a member of our Liberty Bell Ringer Club and get access to our archive of over 1000 visual lessons tagged by content and unit plus a whole lot more…
Teaching AP Government is a marathon, and every class period needs a strong start. The Liberty Bell Ringer Membership gives you an archive of 1,000+ ready-to-go bell ringers. But it doesn't stop there. When it's time to mix things up, dig into a growing library of whole-class games your students will actually enjoy. And when May draws near the built-in exam prep has you covered. Cancel at any time. Use promo code SIGNMEUP at checkout to get the first month of our monthly subscription for free!
Activities
Archive
