More than half of Republicans favor the country’s highest court, according to a new survey conducted in the days following some controversial landmark decisions in June.
The GOP’s approval for the U.S. Supreme Court reached 51% in a new Gallup poll, an increase from 30% last year. Democrats’ favorable opinion of the institution, however, fell from 58% in September to 44% this month.
The overall American sentiment toward the Supreme Court was similar to last year’s ratings, with 47% approving and 46% disapproving of the judicial establishment.
One of the Supreme Court’s most recent polarizing rulings, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, gave for-profit businesses religious exemptions to insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act. Five judges, all Catholic men, cemented the 5-4 decision.
The poll was conducted among 1,013 adults between July 7 and 10.
Related: 5 myths about the Hobby Lobby case, debunked A separate Gallup poll conducted in June found that Americans’ confidence in the Supreme Court fell to record lows this year, as the public’s confidence in all three branches of government remains weak. The highest point of approval for the Supreme Court came in 2009,with 61% favorability among Americans.
Michele Richinick Recommended
