The Supreme Court’s approval ratings are historically low
Biden called on Congress to "restore the right that was taken away in Roe v. Wade," referring to nationwide abortion access, to a huge round of applause from Democrats. The Supreme Court is usually the most popular branch of government. But over the past few years -- particularly since the high court overruled Roe last summer -- Americans' views have diverged sharply by party. A poll conducted last August found that perspectives on the Supreme Court were historically polarized, with a gaping 45-point gap between Republicans and Democrats.
The sharp divide was driven by a nosedive in Democrats' views of the court. In the poll, only 28% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents had a favorable view of the court in August, down nearly 40 points from 2020. The shift is undoubtedly related to the Supreme Court's right turn since the fall of 2020, when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and was replaced by Amy Coney Barrett, who was the third justice to be appointed by former President Donald Trump. Barrett ended up being a critical vote in the case that overruled Roe.
-FiveThirtyEight's Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux