Marquette Poll: Supreme Court Reform Gains Broad Public Support

• A recent Marquette Law School Poll explored American sentiment toward proposed Supreme Court reforms.
• The poll found that 89% of Americans support enforcing a strict ethics code for justices, and 79% favor fixed terms over life tenure.
• Public opinion is divided on adding Supreme Court justices, with 53% in favor and 47% opposed.
• Overall approval for the Supreme Court fell from 47% to 43% over two months, a drop seen among both Republicans and Democrats.
• The September approval rating marks the second lowest recorded since January 2025.

The significant drop in the Supreme Court's approval rating, coupled with the divided views on adding justices, underscores a period of heightened scrutiny and public concern regarding the judiciary.

A recent national survey conducted by the Marquette Law School Poll has shed light on evolving American attitudes toward the Supreme Court and potential structural changes. The poll specifically investigated public opinion on various proposals aimed at reforming the nation's highest judicial body, including the contentious idea of expanding the number of justices. The findings reveal a complex landscape of public sentiment, with some reforms enjoying broad, bipartisan appeal while others remain deeply divisive.

Overall approval for the Supreme Court has experienced a notable decline in recent months. The Marquette Law School SCOTUS approval rating dropped from 47% to 43% over a two-month period. This four-percentage-point decrease was observed across the political spectrum, with both Republican and Democratic respondents showing a three-percentage-point reduction in their approval of the Court. This September approval figure represents the second lowest rating recorded since January 2025, indicating a significant shift in public perception.

Among the specific reform measures explored, the idea of enforcing a strict judicial ethics code for the justices garnered nearly universal support. An overwhelming 89% of Americans surveyed favored such a measure, underscoring a strong desire for increased accountability and transparency within the judiciary. This high level of consensus suggests that public opinion judicial ethics code is a widely accepted concept across different demographics.

Another proposal that received substantial backing was the implementation of fixed terms for Supreme Court justices, replacing the current system of life tenure. A significant 79% of respondents expressed strong support for having justices serve a fixed term rather than a life term. This finding highlights a broad appetite for limiting the duration of judicial service, potentially to reduce the perceived politicization of appointments and ensure a more regular rotation of jurists.

However, the prospect of adding Supreme Court justices, often referred to as 'court packing,' proved to be far more polarizing. The Marquette poll found that Americans are sharply divided on this issue, with 53% expressing support for increasing the number of justices and 47% indicating opposition. This narrow margin reflects the deep ideological chasm surrounding this particular reform, which has been a subject of intense political debate.

The results of the Marquette poll Supreme Court reform survey offer critical insights into the current state of US judicial reform sentiment. The widespread support for an ethics code and fixed terms suggests a public desire for systemic improvements that enhance the Court's perceived legitimacy and independence, without necessarily altering its fundamental structure in a way that is seen as partisan.

The significant drop in the Supreme Court's approval rating, coupled with the divided views on adding justices, underscores a period of heightened scrutiny and public concern regarding the judiciary. These findings provide a valuable barometer of how Americans view the institution and its role in the nation's governance, indicating that while certain reforms are broadly popular, more radical changes like court expansion remain contentious and lack a clear public mandate.

Source: Original reporting via Marquette Today