Public Opinion and Supreme Court Rulings: A Detailed Look at Recent Decisions

A national poll conducted by Marquette Law School surveyed public opinion on the Supreme Court's decisions, finding varying levels of agreement with the court's rulings on seven significant cases. The poll, conducted in April and May, indicated that the public generally concurred with some outcomes while strongly disagreeing with others.

According to the poll results, a majority of the public agreed with the Supreme Court's rulings in five out of seven cases. These included decisions related to birthright citizenship, the removal of a Federal Reserve governor, state laws restricting transgender athletes' participation in sports, and the validity of late-arriving ballots. The public also agreed with the court's outcome on tariffs, a case whose decision preceded the polling.

Conversely, public opinion largely diverged from the court's decisions regarding the removal of independent agency heads and the ability of political parties to coordinate with candidates' campaigns. For the ruling allowing the president to remove independent agency heads, 27% of adults agreed with the outcome. In the case concerning political parties coordinating campaign activities, 26% of adults expressed agreement.

The poll indicated that public understanding of Supreme Court decisions often relies on media descriptions rather than detailed legal analysis. Partisan affiliation appeared to significantly influence public perception of the court's actions. For example, 79% of Democrats believed the court sided with the Trump administration frequently, compared to 45% of Republicans who held this view.

Overall approval of the Supreme Court varied by political affiliation. In May, 76% of Republicans approved of the court's performance, while 20% of Democrats and 39% of independents shared this view. Forty-six percent of all adults approved of the court, while 54% disapproved.

Specific case results showed distinct breakdowns across partisan lines:

* **Birthright Citizenship (*Trump v. Barbara*):** 68% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 43% of Republicans, 71% of independents, and 91% of Democrats. * **Federal Reserve Governor Removal (*Trump v. Cook*):** 66% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 40% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 92% of Democrats. * **Tariffs (*Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump*):** 66% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 39% of Republicans, 73% of independents, and 92% of Democrats. * **Transgender Athletes (*West Virginia v. B.P.J./Little v. Hecox*):** 63% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 81% of Republicans, 53% of independents, and 49% of Democrats. * **Late-Arriving Ballots (*Watson v. Republican National Committee*):** 56% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 32% of Republicans, 54% of independents, and 81% of Democrats. * **Removal of Independent Agency Heads (*Trump v. Slaughter*):** 27% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 46% of Republicans, 28% of independents, and 7% of Democrats. * **Campaign Finance Coordination (*National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission*):** 26% of adults agreed with the outcome. This included 25% of Republicans, 36% of independents, and 22% of Democrats.

The Marquette Law School Poll conducted its national surveys between May 20-26, 2026, for most cases, and April 8-16, 2026, for the tariffs case. The findings suggest that public views on court decisions often mirror attitudes toward legislative or presidential policies, mediated by news coverage and partisan alignment.