How confident are Americans in the judicial system? Poll finds a new record low

Confidence in America’s courts has tumbled to an all-time low, recent polling reveals.

In a newly released Gallup poll, just 35% of respondents said they had confidence in the country’s courts and judicial system, marking the poorest rating since Gallup began asking the question in 2006.

The result continues a conspicuous trend of declining confidence, which has dropped 24 points since 2020. It also sets the U.S. in stark contrast to most other countries.

Conducted between June 28 and Aug. 1, the poll sampled 1,000 U.S. residents over the age of 15. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Bipartisan declines

Who exactly is losing confidence in the nation’s judicial system? People across the political spectrum, it seems.

During President Joe Biden’s time in office, those who said they disapproved of American leadership lost significant confidence in the courts — dropping from 46% to 29% between 2021 and 2024.

But opinions toward the judiciary have also soured among those who said they approved of U.S. leadership under Biden, with their confidence dipping from 62% in 2023 to 44% in 2024.

These major declines indicate “something profound occurred” to shake both Biden’s opponents and supporters’ confidence in America’s courts.

Pollsters believe it’s likely that the various legal cases against President-elect Donald Trump played a role in this trend — for both camps.

Previous polls have revealed how Democrats and Republicans have both felt disappointed or let down by Trump’s legal cases.

For example, a June 2024 Reuters poll found most Republicans believe criminal charges levied against Trump were politically motivated. And a March Ipsos poll found most Democrats wanted Trump to go to trial in his election subversion case before the presidential election — which never happened.

Global context

While American confidence in the country’s judicial system has plummeted, citizens of other wealthy countries have largely kept faith in their courts.

In 2024, countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) had a median of 55% confidence in their courts and judicial systems — in contrast to the 35% in the U.S.

“The resulting 20-point gap in confidence between the U.S. and the median of OECD nations in 2024 is the largest in the Gallup trend,” according to the polling organization.

Further, the dramatic 24-point drop in American confidence since 2020 is almost unparalleled on the global stage. Only a handful of states, namely those that experienced political upheaval, have shown larger declines over the four-year period. These include Syria, Venezuela and Myanmar.

This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 2:10 PM with the headline "How confident are Americans in the judicial system? Poll finds a new record low."