Supreme Court approval rating rises, poll finds

Americans’ approval of the Supreme Court is trending upward, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Marquette Law School survey found that 47 percent of adults approved of the job the Supreme Court is doing (the highest level in more than a year), while 53 percent disapproved.

The poll, which was conducted March 18-28, showed a marked change from a survey conducted in February, when 40 percent of adults approved of the Supreme Court, while 60 percent disapproved.

The uptick comes as the court has taken up several high-profile cases, including the question of whether states can exclude former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential election.

In that case, the court unanimously ruled that states cannot exclude Trump from the ballot based on the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. More than half of those surveyed supported the court’s decision.

In late April, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether former presidents should enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions taken during their presidency. The case arises from prosecutions of Trump related to his efforts to contest the 2020 election and his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

In February, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that Trump is not immune from prosecution.

Few respondents thought Trump should be immune: When the question was asked without Trump’s name, only 20 percent thought former presidents should be granted immunity, while 28 percent said the same when his name was included. in the question.

The court heard oral arguments on a lower court decision restricting access to mifepristone, a drug used in medical abortions, in late March. Most adults (60 percent) said the court should maintain the current level of drug access, which would mean overturning the lower court’s ruling.

That case comes nearly two years after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, who protected abortion rights nationwide. The court’s approval plummeted after the ruling and has not reached the same levels since.