The Supreme Court, it has long been said, seldom gets very far out of step with public opinion.
The court is about to test that conventional wisdom. In the coming weeks, it seems poised to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. Such a ruling would be at odds with the views of most Americans, according to recent public opinion polls.
A single decision, even if it’s a judicial earthquake that would eliminate a constitutional right that’s been in place for 50 years, would not by itself disprove a general trend.
But is there indeed evidence that public opinion influences the court? CONTINUED
Adam Liptak, New York Times
See also: Court Decisions and Trends in Support for Same-Sex Marriage by Patrick J. Egan & Nathaniel Persily
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