Public approval of the U.S. Supreme Court has dropped to 43%, according to a national survey released by the Marquette Law School Poll. The figure marks a four-point decline from July's 47% and sits just one point above the court's lowest rating since January 2025, recorded back in April.
Researchers polled 1,023 adults nationwide between September 2 and 9, with results carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. The survey covered a broad range of issues, from whether the court favors President Donald Trump too often to public appetite for structural reforms like term limits.
The idea that the court tilts toward the administration remains a persistent thread in Marquette's polling. Sixty-one percent of respondents said the justices have ruled in Trump's favor often or fairly often since his second term began, up sharply from 55% in July, when several high-profile rulings had gone against the administration. That share matches levels seen earlier in the year.
"Fifty-seven percent of adults say the justices' decisions are driven mainly by politics rather than law, a view that has barely moved since July.
— Marquette Law School Poll
A sharp partisan divide runs through perceptions of the court's leanings. Three-quarters of Democrats believe the justices side with Trump often or fairly often, compared with 56% of independents and 46% of Republicans.
A narrow majority of adults, 54%, also believe the court is deliberately avoiding rulings that Trump might defy, a view that has held steady, ranging between 54% and 57% across seven polls dating back to September 2025.
That partisan gap widened this month: 78% of Democrats said the court avoids confrontation with the president, versus 57% of independents and just 28% of Republicans.
Politics Over Law, Most Say
Most respondents continue to doubt the court's impartiality. In September, 57% said the justices' rulings are shaped mainly by political considerations, versus 42% who pointed to legal reasoning — numbers nearly unchanged from July's 58%.
Awareness of proposed structural changes remains limited. Only 18% of adults said they had heard a lot about ideas like expanding the court or imposing fixed terms, while 55% had heard a little and 27% had heard nothing at all.
Reform Ideas Draw Broad, Uneven Support
All three reform proposals tested in the survey drew majority backing, though enthusiasm varied by idea and party.
Ethics Code Nearly Unanimous
A strict ethics code for justices was the most popular proposal by far, supported by 89% of adults and opposed by just 10%.
Fixed terms for justices, replacing lifetime appointments, drew 79% support and 21% opposition.
Expanding the Court Splits Opinion
Growing the size of the court proved the most divisive idea, backed by 53% and opposed by 47%.
Republicans were the only group where a majority opposed expansion; Democrats and independents both favored it.
What Comes Next
The poll suggests the court's standing with the public remains fragile, shaped heavily by partisan perceptions of its relationship with the Trump administration.
With approval hovering near its lowest point in nearly two years, future Marquette surveys will likely continue tracking whether views shift as the court issues new rulings or reform proposals gain traction in Congress.
Enforcing a strict ethics code for the justices is favored by 89% of adults, making it the most broadly popular reform tested.— Marquette Law School Poll
Whether public confidence recovers may depend less on any single ruling and more on how the court navigates its next term amid ongoing scrutiny of its independence.
