As the Supreme Court struggles with falling approval ratings, Justice Elena Kagan warned that it could lose its connection with the public.
Elena Kagan answered questions from members of the Senate Judiciary.
If the Supreme Court loses all ties to and trust with the public, that is a dangerous thing for a democracy, according to a speech by Elena Kagan.
The justice said she wasn't referring to a recent decision by the high court.
The kind of things that do not seem to people can be used to build trust.
political or partisan,” instead of trying to “enact their own policy or political or social preferences”—a problem Kagan said has dogged the court in the past.
A quarter of it. The share of Americans who told Gallup that they have a lot of confidence in the Supreme Court was 11 points lower than in 2011. Republicans are more likely to express confidence in the high court. 45% of adults told Morning Consult they trust the Supreme Court less than a year ago.
The Supreme Court issued a number of controversial decisions this year, capped by its decision last month to allow states to ban abortions. The decision led to protests near the nation's capital, as well as outside the homes of some conservative justices. The high court has been criticized before. Longstanding calls for the court to adopt an ethics code grew louder this year after revelations Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, a right-wing activist,texted with White House officials about Donald Trump's bid to reverse his election outcome. Senate Republicans blocked Barack Obama from filling the seat in the final year of his presidency, so Democrats have taken aim at the nomination process for two conservative justices. The court's reputation has been damaged by a number of high-profile leaks, including an unprecedented May leak of a draft of this year's abortion decision.
Supreme Court justices have bristled at proposals to increase scrutiny of the judiciary. In the last few months, Thomas has been called a friend and a man who cares deeply about the court, and recently-retired liberal Justice Stephen Breyer has denied his colleagues arejunior-league politicians. The need for the Judiciary to manage its internal affairs was pointed out by Chief Justice John Roberts in a December year-end report.
A poll says public confidence in the Supreme Court has fallen.
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