A new Gallup poll today found that Americans trust the judicial branch the most and the legislative branch the least.
Trust in all three branches of government rose slightly this year, but Congress has lost the most cred over the past decade.
Sixty-seven percent of those polled said they have a “great deal/fair amount” of trust and confidence in the judicial branch, 56 percent have this trust in the executive branch and just 34 percent feel that way about the legislative branch.
The lowest point of executive-branch trust since Gallup began asking the question was during the heart of the Watergate scandal in 1974, when confidence plunged to 40 percent.
Confidence in Congress was as high as 67 percent in 2002, but hit an all-time low of 31 percent last year.
When divided by party, 17 percent of Republicans have trust in the executive branch while 90 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of independents express this view. Number are about even when it comes to the judicial branch, but independents trust Congress the least — just 26 percent.
Anyone really so naive not to believe SCOTUS is absolutely as politicized as Congress and maybe more so? Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Elena Kagan about Constitution justice?
You might as well have Hugo Chavez conducting the interpretation.
Why would anybody have trust even in the SCOTUS anymore? The word justice was rendered moot many years ago, about the same time the Constitution became irrelevant in the eyes of many. Just a piece of paper written by a bunch of old, dead white guys to be ignored if inconvenient.
Our Founding Fathers are spinning 6,000 RPM.
I know what Tex is saying, but I think folks have a sense that SCOTUS is a little insulated from politics because they don’t have to face re-election. The pendulum swings back and forth, but with lifetime appointments neither conservative nor liberal ever gets a clear advantage.
I think Congress has moved to far away from the constituents. For years I’ve thought there must be something in the water or air in DC – good people go there and sooner or later get infected w the Big Gubmint Flu.
– insulated so long as Georgetown Cocktail Party invitations matter to each justice.
Well, Roberts has that going for him. Of course, disproves nothing, since I think he was shooting for continuance of Supreme Court support with that “tax” ruling. Mission accomplished.
After odious decisions like Kelo and ObamaCare, how can anyone have any confidence in the Supreme Court? The Constitution only means what 5 or more SC justices says it means. The justices are human beings as fallable as anyone else.
After Roberts’ flip flop on Obamacare, my faith in the SCOTUS is somewhere near zero. There are still 4 good justices, but he made the majority and close doesn’t count.
It was an easy call – and he flinched. Now the liberals have a precedent they can use for all worlds of mischief that he handed them on a silver platter.