(TheProudRepublic.com) – A shocking poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that 7 out of 10 Americans believe Supreme Court justices are more guided by their ideological leanings than serving as impartial arbiters of government authority.
This sentiment comes as the court prepares to rule on significant cases involving former President Donald Trump and other contentious issues.
According to the survey, 7 in 10 Americans perceive the justices as influenced by ideology, while about 3 in 10 believe they primarily function to provide an unbiased check on other branches of government.
Additionally, the poll underscores a growing lack of trust in the Supreme Court, which was more widely respected just a decade ago.
It also highlights the challenge faced by the nine justices, appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, in being viewed as independent from Washington’s deeply partisan landscape.
In the midst of this atmosphere, the justices are expected to soon decide whether Trump can face criminal charges for his actions in attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. The poll suggests many Americans are already skeptical about the court’s ability to rule impartially in such politically charged cases.
“It’s very political. There’s no question about that,” remarked Jeff Weddell, a 67-year-old from Michigan. “The court’s decision-making is so polluted.”
Confidence in the Supreme Court remains low, with 4 in 10 adults expressing hardly any trust in the institution, similar to findings from previous polls. This contrasts sharply with earlier years when fewer Americans doubted the justices.
Despite the court’s conservative majority recently delivering key wins for Republican policy goals, ordinary Republicans are not overwhelmingly supportive of the justices.
Moreover. the court’s actions have varied widely, including a notable decision earlier this year preserving access to mifepristone, a drug used in most U.S. abortions, while also striking down a Trump-era gun restriction on bump stocks.
The poll also reveals divisions among Republicans, with many split on whether the justices are influenced by their personal views or act independently. Concerns about ideological bias extend to specific issues such as presidential power and immunity, with significant numbers of Republican women expressing doubts.
In turn, Democrats and independents are even more doubtful about the court’s impartiality, with about 8 in 10 Democrats and 7 in 10 independents believing the justices shape laws based on their own ideologies rather than serving as neutral arbiters.
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