Pew Research: Favorable Views of Supreme Court Remain Near Historic Low

More than half of Americans now view the Supreme Court unfavorably. That is not a blip. That is a verdict.

Just 45% of U.S. adults hold a favorable opinion of the court today — a collapse of 20 percentage points since April 2021, when 65% of Americans viewed it positively. That freefall tracks almost perfectly with the court's 2022 decision to overturn the federal right to abortion. The court's favorable rating has hovered near a three-decade low ever since, and a new Pew Research Center survey conducted July 6–12, 2026 confirms that trend has not reversed.

The partisan divide is stark. Only 25% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now view the Supreme Court favorably — one of the lowest ratings from either party in more than 30 years of polling. As recently as 2021, nearly two-thirds of Democrats held a positive view. Republicans remain far more favorable at 69%, a number that has changed relatively little over the same period.

More than four in ten Americans describe the court as conservative. Only 9% call it liberal. And while a majority still say the court holds the right amount of power, 43% of Democrats say it has too much — a figure that has remained stubbornly elevated since the Dobbs decision reshaped American life.

When a majority of Americans lose faith in one of democracy's most foundational institutions, that is not a partisan talking point. It is a warning. Leading Ladies Vote believes that a court accountable to the people — not to ideology — is the foundation of equal justice for all. Our vote shapes who sits on that bench.

 🔗 Read the full Pew Research report here.