Americans do not see Supreme Court as politically neutral, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The two-day poll, which closed on June 12, was based on responses from 1,136 US adults. PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - Americans are divided on major issues that the US Supreme Court is due to rule on in the coming weeks, but most agree on one thing - neither Republicans nor Democrats see the nation's top judicial body as politically neutral, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Just 20 per cent of respondents to the poll agreed that the Supreme Court is politically neutral while 58 per cent disagreed and the rest either said they did not know or did not respond.
Among people who described themselves as Democrats, only 10 per cent agreed it was politically neutral and 74 per cent disagreed, while among Republicans 29 per cent agreed and 54 per cent disagreed.
The two-day poll, which closed on June 12 , was based on responses from 1,136 US adults. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The court has issued major rulings in recent years including in cases rolling back abortion rights, expanding gun rights, recognising presidential immunity from prosecution for official acts, rejecting race-conscious collegiate admissions and curbing the power of federal agencies.
Its 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Republican President Donald Trump in his first term in office.
In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 44 per cent of respondents expressed a favourable view of the court, including 67 per cent of Republicans and 26 per cent of Democrats.
The Supreme Court's popularity has declined since its June 2022 decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalised abortion nationwide.
Some 57 per cent of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted at the end of 2021 expressed a favourable opinion of the court. By the end of June 2022, that figure had fallen to 43 per cent.
The justices are expected to issue rulings in major cases in the coming weeks as they near the end of their current term that began in October.
Among the cases are one on the legality of Tennessee's Republican-backed law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors and one involving Mr Trump's executive order restricting automatic birthright citizenship, part of his hardline approach to immigration.
Some 53 per cent of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they supported 'laws that prevent transgender children under the age of 18 from getting medical treatment related to gender identity and gender transitioning'. Another 28 per cent opposed such laws and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question.
Among Republicans, support for such laws was at 57 per cent and opposition at 28 per cent, while among Democrats support was at 23 per cent and opposition at 54 per cent.
The Tennessee law prohibits medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors. During Dec 4, 2024, arguments in the case, the court's conservative justices signaled their willingness to uphold the law. The eventual ruling could affect other state laws targeting transgender people.
After Mr Trump signed his birthright citizenship directive in January, 22 states as well as immigrant rights advocates and pregnant immigrants sued, arguing that it was a violation of citizenship language in the US Constitution's 14th Amendment.
In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 24 per cent of all respondents supported ending birthright citizenship and 52 per cent opposed it.
Among Democrats, 5 per cent supported ending it, with 84 per cent opposed. Among Republicans, 43 per cent supported ending it, with 24 per cent opposed. The rest said they were unsure or did not respond to the question.
The court also by the end of June is expected to issue a ruling on the legality of a Texas law that requires people to verify the age online before accessing pornographic websites.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found strong support for such laws. Among all respondents, 70 per cent were in support and 14 per cent opposed. Among Democrats, 65 per cent supported and 18 per cent opposed, while among Republicans 80 per cent supported and 7 per cent opposed.
During Jan 15 arguments in the case, the justices seemed to agree that states can try to keep adult material from minors but also voiced concern over burdens imposed on adults to view constitutionally protected material. REUTERS
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