Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Academic Program

Legal Studies BA

First Advisor

Dr. Karen Kozlowski

Advisor Department

Anthropology and Sociology

Abstract

The US Supreme Court has been historically trusted as an impartial arbiter of the Constitution. However, in 2022 the level of public trust in the Supreme Court dropped to a historic low, and faith in the institution has not recovered in the following years. Previous research demonstrated that Supreme Court decisions can influence public opinion and suggested that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Clinic can be blamed for this decline. Further research proved that the President’s role in appointing justices can have an effect on the perception of the Court. This study examines both the reactions to controversial cases in addition to recent presidents through qualitative interviews to compare the effects of these factors on public trust. This study finds that regardless of political affiliation, interview participants do not view the Court as impartial and believe that the President’s politics influence decisions. The Court’s perceived connection to politics directly corresponds to participants’ levels of trust. However, the majority of participants do not believe that the public should have more say in the Court and their decisions, suggesting some inherent trust in the legitimacy of the institution. These results convey that although there is an evident difference in faith in the Court based on political affiliation, participants share certain beliefs, indicating future directions that could recover trust and reconcile the polarization studied

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