Trust in Supreme Court at Record Low

When the Supreme Court opens its term on October 3rd, it will convene with the lowest public approval rating in modern history. A recent Gallup Poll found that only 47% of adults surveyed trust the court, which is six percentage points lower than the 53% reported in 2015. 58% of respondents told Gallup they disapprove of the Supreme Court's job performance, which is a record high. This matters, since the Supreme Court relies on public respect for its legitimacy as the justices have no independent enforcement power for their decisions. The poll comes after recent landmark decisions on issues such a gun rights and abortion — most notably, the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Meanwhile, Justice Samuel Alito has defended recent rulings, saying that those who question the legitimacy of the Supreme Court have “crossed an important line.” His comment was a response to Justice Elena Kagan's remarks implying that the conservative majority on the court was acting on behalf of the Republican Party.

Sources from across the political spectrum have covered this poll, with some on the left focusing on the fact that Senate Republicans hurt public support for the court by not considering the nomination of Merrick Garland by then-President Barack Obama, but then later considering the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett under then-President Donald Trump. A number of sources pointed out that public trust in democratic institutions and processes in general has dropped.