Survey reveals partisan divide on US Supreme Court reforms and ethics code support News
MarkThomas / Pixabay
Survey reveals partisan divide on US Supreme Court reforms and ethics code support

A new survey released Thursday by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center reveals that nearly two-thirds of Americans favor imposing term limits on US Supreme Court justices. However, only 3 in 10 support expanding the court’s size, a proposal pushed by Congressional Democrats and advocates for court transparency to reduce the influence of the current 6-3 conservative supermajority. Additionally, 69 percent of respondents believe justices should face a mandatory retirement age.

President Joe Biden has recently proposed 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, allowing future presidents to make appointments every two years. He also backs legislation for an enforceable ethics code, responding to recent scandals and controversial rulings. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, supports Biden’s proposals, which aim to address concerns about judicial ethics and the court’s power.

Thursday’s survey revealed overwhelming public support for stronger Supreme Court ethics on other issues. Eighty-two percent favor banning justices from cases where they have personal or financial interests, while 77 percent want a formal ethics code that would allow for investigations into ethical violations. Nearly half of respondents, 47 percent, also support giving the public the power to vote on overturning controversial Supreme Court decisions.

Chief Justice John Roberts announced last November that the Supreme Court had adopted an ethics code tailored to its nine justices following mounting pressure sparked by revelations of undisclosed property deals and gifts. However, the code lacks any enforcement mechanism or external oversight and leaves justices to decide for themselves whether to step aside in cases where conflicts of interest may arise.

Thursday’s survey showed that while knowledgeable Democrats and independents slightly favor reforms, knowledgeable Republicans are significantly less inclined to support changes. Though both Democrats (87 percent) and Republicans (83 percent) overwhelmingly agree that justices should be barred from participating in cases where they have conflicts of interest, Democrats are more likely to support broader reforms. For instance, a formal ethics code is backed by 88 percent of Democrats compared to 70 percent of Republicans.

The research also highlights a shift in the relationship between civics knowledge and Supreme Court views since the Dobbs decision, showing how polarization has persisted. “This should be extremely worrying for members of the Supreme Court,” warned University of Pennsylvania political science professor Matt Levendusky. “The court’s independence has long been sustained by its strong bipartisan support in the public. If that vanishes, the court may find itself reformed or constrained in ways that weaken its power.”

THIS DAY @ LAW

Nuremberg race laws went into effect in Nazi Germany

On September 15, 1935, the Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany became effective, racially defining German citizenship and making Jews outcasts. The Reich Health Office issued the following chart in 1936 to assist in ascertaining the "admissibility of marriage between Aryans and non-Aryans." White circles represented on the chart are "pure Germans" while the circles with black indicate the proportion of Jewish heritage. Review the Nuremberg Laws on Citizenship, German Blood and German Honor, and Hereditary Health.

KKK bombs Alabama Church

On September 15, 1963, members of the Klu Klux Klan bombed a predominantly African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement. The blast at the 16th Street Baptist Church killed four young girls and injured twenty other people. Despite an investigation by the FBI, no one was charged with responsibility for the crime until Robert Chambliss was convicted of murder in 1977. His accomplices, Thomas Blaton, Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry, were not tried and convicted until about twenty-five years later. Learn more about the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and the trials of Blanton and Cherry from NPR.

Nuremberg Laws went into effect in Nazi Germany

On September 15, 1935, the Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany became effective, racially defining German citizenship and making Jews outcasts. The Reich Health Office issued the following chart in 1936 to assist in ascertaining the "admissibility of marriage between Aryans and non-Aryans": white circles represent on the chart are "pure Germans", while the circles with black indicate the proportion of Jewish blood.

Review the Laws for Protection of the German Race on Citizenship, German Blood and German Honor, and Hereditary Health.