The American public's approval of the Supreme Court has fallen since Roe v. Wade was overturned, but opinions are sharply divided along political party lines. The controversial abortion ruling was endorsed by many conservatives in the country and was condemned by liberals.
Overall, public approval of the high court is now 38%, compared with 60% about a year ago, a new poll found.
The national survey by Marquette University Law School, the first since the June 24 decision overturning a women's constitutional right to an abortion, reveals stark party differences. Among Democrats, approval of the Supreme Court's performance dropped to 15% from 52% in March, while Republican approval increased modestly to 67% from 64% during the same period.
In other contentious cases decided this year, the Supreme Court allowed more religious expression in public spaces, and allowed for greater freedom in carrying a gun in New York State. The justices also issued major rulings that restricted the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According. to the ACLU: "The recently completed U.S. Supreme Court term was the most conservative in a century, as President Trump's three nominees exercised their newfound power to turn the law radically to the right."
The poll indicates greater perceptions that the Supreme Court is conservative. The percentage saying the court is "moderate" fell to 21% from 50% in December 2019, while those who say the court is "somewhat conservative" or "very conservative" rose to 67% from 38% over the same period.
The Marquette University Law School poll was conducted July 5-12, shortly after the release of the final decisions of the court's term that started in October 2021.
The poll, which had 1,003 respondents, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
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