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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 26 July 2022

AP-NORC poll: 2 in 3 in U.S favor term limits for justices

Associated Press vor, 61% to 14%.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The poll also found in-
About 2 in 3 Americans say creased dissatisfaction
they favor term limits or a with the court since three
mandatory retirement age months ago, before the
for Supreme Court justices, court overturned the 1973
according to a new poll Roe v. Wade decision
that finds a sharp increase guaranteeing a right to
in the percentage of Amer- abortion.
icans saying they have In the April poll, conducted
"hardly any" confidence in before a draft of the court's
the court. decision was leaked, 18%
The poll from The Associ- said they had a great deal
ated Press-NORC Center of confidence, 54% said
for Public Affairs Research they had only some and
finds 67% of Americans 27% said they had hardly
support a proposal to set any. Now, 17% say they
a specific number of years have a great deal of confi-
that justices serve instead dence, 39% only some and
of life terms, including 82% 43% hardly any.
of Democrats and 57% of Patrick Allen, a Democrat
Republicans. Views are from Logan, Utah, is one of
similar about a requirement The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 14, 2022. those with hardly any con-
that justices retire by a spe- Associated Press fidence in the court. Allen,
cific age. 33, said he feels as though
The poll was conducted long. They don't have new limits. Four new members have justices generally vote on
just weeks after the high ideas. When you get a cer- Phil Boller, 90, of LaFollette, joined the court in the last issues based on the party
court issued high-profile tain age and everything Tennessee, said he's not five years, bringing down of the president that ap-
rulings including stripping you get set in your ways just totally opposed to setting the average age of the pointed them. "They're
away women's constitu- like I'm set in my ways," said a limit on years of service court's members. Three jus- sticking more to their guns
tional protections for abor- the 84-year-old Democrat. for justices. The Republi- tices are in their 60s: Chief along the lines of their party
tion and expanding gun Parker said retired justices can who worked in broad- Justice John Roberts, 67, instead of the Constitution,"
rights. The poll also shows can "work in their garden, casting and later owned and Justices Sonia Soto- he said.
more Americans disap- sit on the porch and fan his own lawn care busi- mayor, 68, and Elena Ka- The poll shows the drop
prove than approve of the flies or whatever they want ness said that "basically it's gan, 62. The remaining jus- in confidence is concen-
court's abortion decision, to do." worked the way it's been tices are in their 50s. Neil trated among Democrats,
with just over half saying The Constitution gives going and I see see no rea- Gorsuch is 54, Brett Kava- adding to evidence that
the decision made them federal judges includ- son to change that." naugh 57, Amy Coney Bar- the court's decision on
"angry" or "sad." ing Supreme Court jus- The oldest member of the rett 50 and Ketanji Brown abortion worsened and
The court, which is now tak- tices life tenure, but there current court is Justice Clar- Jackson 51. polarized already tenuous
ing a summer break, will have been recent calls ence Thomas, 74, followed Another proposal Biden's opinions of the court. A
return to hearing cases in for change. A commission by Justice Samuel Alito, 72. committee studied was large partisan gap in views
October with diminished tasked by President Joe But recent justices have increasing the number of of the court that did not
confidence among Ameri- Biden with examining po- served into their 80s. Jus- justices on the court, and exist before the decision
cans. Now 43% say they tential changes to the Su- tice Ruth Bader Ginsburg the poll shows that propos- emerged; 64% of Demo-
have hardly any confi- preme Court studied term served until her death in al evenly dividing Ameri- crats say they have hardly
dence in the court, up from limits among other issues. 2020 at age 87. Justice An- cans. Overall, 34% say any confidence, up from
27% three months ago. The commission finished thony Kennedy retired in they're in favor, while 34% 27% in April. Another 31%
Inez Parker of Currie, North its work last year and its 2018 at 81. And Justice Ste- are opposed and 32% say have only some and just 4%
Carolina, said she's among members were ultimately phen Breyer just retired at they hold neither opinion. have a great deal of con-
those who strongly favor divided over whether they age 83. Democrats are more in fa- fidence — down from 17%.
limits on justices' service. "I believed Congress has the Ginsburg served for 27 vor than opposed, 52% to Among Republicans, how-
think some of those people power to pass a law creat- years, Kennedy 30 years 14%, while Republicans are ever, views of the court
have been up there too ing the equivalent of term and Breyer nearly 28 years. more opposed than in fa- have improved. q