Marquette Law School Supreme Court Poll September 8-15, 2020

These are partial results with other items held for later release.

(Percentages are rounded to whole numbers for reporting of results. Frequencies have been rounded to whole numbers but percentages are calculated based on non-integer weighted sample sizes.)

Results for survey items among all respondents are presented here (unless otherwise indicated). Please note that some questions are only asked of particular groups of respondents. In these instances, the row “NA’s” includes the number and percent of total respondents omitted from the question. These omitted cases are ignored when calculating the “Valid” and “Cumulative” percent columns.

Q3A: confidence in Supreme Court

[The US Supreme Court] Here is a list of institutions in American society. How much confidence do you have in each one?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
A great deal 176 12 12 12
Quite a lot 423 28 28 39
Some 679 45 45 84
Very little 191 13 13 96
None at all 51 3 3 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 4 0 0 100

Q3B: confidence in Congress

[Congress] Here is a list of institutions in American society. How much confidence do you have in each one?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
A great deal 39 3 3 3
Quite a lot 157 10 10 13
Some 639 42 42 55
Very little 526 35 35 89
None at all 149 10 10 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 13 1 1 100

Q3C: confidence in the Presidency

[The Presidency] Here is a list of institutions in American society. How much confidence do you have in each one?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
A great deal 232 15 15 15
Quite a lot 244 16 16 31
Some 358 23 23 55
Very little 299 20 20 74
None at all 387 25 25 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 4 0 0 100

Q3D: confidence in state Supreme Court

[Your state Supreme Court or highest court in your state] Here is a list of institutions in American society. How much confidence do you have in each one?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
A great deal 121 8 8 8
Quite a lot 408 27 27 35
Some 711 47 47 81
Very little 211 14 14 95
None at all 56 4 4 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 16 1 1 100

Q8: most trustworthy branch

Of the three branches of US government, which one do you trust the most?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
The US Congress (the legislative branch) 245 16 16 16
The Presidency (the executive branch) 364 24 24 40
The US Supreme Court (the judicial branch) 895 59 59 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 19 1 1 100

Q9: election 2020 (likely voters only)

[LIKELY VOTERS ONLY] If the election for president were being held today and the candidates were Joe Biden, the Democrat, Donald Trump, the Republican, Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian, and Howie Hawkins, the Green Party, for whom would you vote?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Biden 555 36 50 50
Trump 437 29 40 90
Jorgensen 31 2 3 93
Hawkins 17 1 2 94
Vote for someone else 30 2 3 97
Would not vote 26 2 2 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 4 0 0 100
(Missing) 422 28 NA NA

Q12: can POTUS ignore SCOTUS

If the Supreme Court rules against the president in a case, does the president have the power to ignore that ruling, or is the president required to do as the ruling says?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
The president has the power to ignore the ruling 250 16 16 16
The president is required to do as the ruling says 1255 82 82 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 17 1 1 100

Q13: judicial review

Does the Supreme Court have the power to review laws passed by Congress and to declare them invalid if they conflict with the Constitution?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Yes, the Supreme Court has this power 1324 87 87 87
No, the Supreme Court does not have this power 191 13 13 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 9 1 1 100

Q14: should president make laws

When Congress fails to act, should the president have the power to make laws on his own?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Yes, president should be able to make laws 423 28 28 28
No, president should not be able to make laws 1093 72 72 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 7 0 0 100

Q35A: favor/oppose - increase number of justices

[Increase the number of justices on the US Supreme Court] How much do you favor or oppose the following proposals affecting the Supreme Court?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Strongly favor 149 10 10 10
Favor 548 36 36 46
Oppose 592 39 39 85
Strongly oppose 216 14 14 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 18 1 1 100

Q35B: favor/oppose - fixed terms

[Have judges serve a fixed term on the court rather than serving life terms] How much do you favor or oppose the following proposals affecting the Supreme Court?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Strongly favor 528 35 35 35
Favor 614 40 40 75
Oppose 267 18 18 92
Strongly oppose 101 7 7 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 13 1 1 100

Q35C: favor/oppose - limit judicial review

[Limit the ability of the Supreme Court to review and set aside acts of Congress as unconstitutional] How much do you favor or oppose the following proposals affecting the Supreme Court?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Strongly favor 112 7 7 7
Favor 512 34 34 41
Oppose 640 42 42 83
Strongly oppose 237 16 16 98
SKIPPED ON WEB 23 2 2 100

Q56: approve/disapprove - SCOTUS’ handling of job

Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way the US Supreme Court is handling its job?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Strongly approve 101 7 7 7
Somewhat approve 902 59 59 66
Somewhat disapprove 424 28 28 94
Strongly disapprove 74 5 5 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 22 1 1 100

Q56: (2-category)

Overall, how much do you approve or disapprove of the way the US Supreme Court is handling its job?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Approve 1003 66 66 66
Disapprove 498 33 33 99
Skipped on web 22 1 1 100

D1: party ID

Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Republican 447 29 29 29
Democrat 548 36 36 65
Independent 384 25 25 91
Other/No preference 139 9 9 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 4 0 0 100

D2A: partisan strength (among partisans)

Would you call yourself a strong [Republican/Democrat] or a not very strong [Republican/Democrat]?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Strong 612 40 62 62
Not very strong 382 25 38 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 1 0 0 100
(Missing) 527 35 NA NA

D2B: partisan lean (among Independents)

Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Republican 150 10 28 28
Democratic 172 11 33 61
Neither 199 13 38 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 6 0 1 100
(Missing) 996 65 NA NA

D3: religious service attendance

Before the coronavirus pandemic, aside from weddings and funerals, how often did you attend religious services?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
More than once a week 141 9 9 9
Once a week 331 22 22 31
Once or twice a month 124 8 8 39
A few times a year 185 12 12 51
Seldom 325 21 21 73
Never 412 27 27 100
SKIPPED ON WEB 5 0 0 100

D4: religious preference

What is your religious preference?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Protestant 341 22 22 22
Roman Catholic 291 19 19 42
Other Christian Religion 374 25 25 66
Mormon/Latter-Day Saints 26 2 2 68
Jewish 26 2 2 69
Muslim/Islam 27 2 2 71
Other Non-Christian Religion 62 4 4 75
No Religion 360 24 24 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 16 1 1 100

D5: born-again or evangelical

Would you describe yourself as a "born-again" or evangelical Christian, or not?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Yes, would 396 26 54 54
No, would not 328 22 45 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 7 0 1 100
(Missing) 792 52 NA NA

D6: ideology

In general, would you describe your political views as…?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Very conservative 134 9 9 9
Conservative 374 25 25 33
Moderate 627 41 41 74
Liberal 251 16 16 91
Very liberal 120 8 8 99
SKIPPED ON WEB 18 1 1 100

party ID with leaners included as partisans

Party ID with leaners included
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Republican 597 39 39 39
Independent 201 13 13 52
Democrat 721 47 47 100
Refused 4 0 0 100