Defense Date

6-17-2026

Graduation Date

Summer 8-7-2026

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MA

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Michael Irwin

Committee Member

Kristen Coopie

Keywords

Judicial confidence, American politics, Supreme Court of the United States, Public opinion, judicial legitimacy, Political trust, Political ideology, Institutional support, General Social Survey, Binary logistic regression

Abstract

This study examines public confidence in the United States Supreme Court and whether confidence has declined between 2004 and 2024. It also investigates whether demographic characteristics, political ideology, and confidence in other political institutions help explain the variation in confidence levels. Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) for 2004, 2014, and 2024, this study employs a binary logistic regression approach to examine the predictors of confidence in the Court. The findings indicate that confidence in the Supreme Court declined significantly over the twenty-year period. Political ideology emerged as a strong predictor of confidence, with conservatives over three times more likely than liberals to express confidence in the Court. Black respondents were also significantly less likely than White respondents to report confidence. Although confidence in Congress and the Executive Branch was strongly associated with confidence in the Supreme Court, the decline observed in 2024 remained significant even after controlling for these factors. These findings suggest that recent declines in confidence in the Court cannot be explained solely by broader distrust of government and may reflect changes in attitudes toward the Court itself. This study contributes to ongoing discussions concerning political trust, institutional support, and the role of public confidence in maintaining judicial authority.

Language

English

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