Article Summary –
Americans’ confidence in the judicial system has plummeted to a record low of 35%, a significant drop from previous years, influenced by events such as the overturning of abortion rights and former President Trump’s legal challenges. This decline is observed across the political spectrum, with both supporters and detractors of President Biden’s administration expressing diminished trust, particularly in response to court decisions perceived as favoring Trump. The trend is part of a broader loss of confidence in U.S. institutions, contrasting with trust levels in other wealthy nations, and is comparable to declines seen in countries experiencing significant political upheaval.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid intense political division, Americans’ confidence in their judicial system hit a record low of 35% this year, as revealed by a new Gallup poll.
The U.S. experienced a 24-point drop in trust over four years, contrasting with other wealthy nations where citizens generally maintain faith in their legal systems.
This decline follows events like the overturning of nationwide abortion rights, former President Donald Trump’s indictment, subsequent withdrawal of federal charges, and his criticisms of the judicial system’s integrity.
The confidence dip affected both opponents and supporters of President Joe Biden, Gallup found, though respondents weren’t asked about political affiliations.
Disapproval of leadership often correlates with reduced court trust. A notable 17-point drop occurred among Biden critics, likely influenced by cases against Trump, according to Gallup.
Among Biden supporters, confidence fell 18 points from 2023 to 2024, potentially due to court rulings favoring Trump. Trust had exceeded 60% during Biden’s early presidency but plummeted this year.
Trump faced four criminal indictments in 2024, but only a hush-money case in New York ended with conviction before his presidential victory.
Special counsel Jack Smith closed his federal cases involving Trump’s 2020 election loss efforts and classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. A Georgia state election interference case remains on hold. Trump denies all allegations.
Gallup found Democrats’ trust in the Supreme Court dropped 25 points between 2021 and 2022, after the court overturned abortion protections. Trust rose to 34% in 2023 but fell to 24% in 2024 after a ruling granting Trump and former presidents immunity from criminal prosecution.
Republicans’ trust in the court reached 71% in 2024.
U.S. judicial system trust fell more sharply than many other institutions over four years. Federal government confidence also dropped 20 points to 26%, less than the courts’ decline.
The U.S. trust decline is steep compared to global trends. Few countries saw larger drops; Myanmar’s trust fell 46 points during military rule return, Venezuela’s declined 35 points amid turmoil, and Syria’s dropped 28 points during early civil war years.
The survey involved telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,000 U.S. adults from June 28 to August 1.
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