In a recent poll conducted by The Washington Times and the Harris Poll, it has been revealed that a significant number of Americans are in favor of instating Supreme Court term limits rather than adding more justices. This shift in the American perspective is believed to be due to the politicization of the judicial nomination and confirmation process.
It is gathered from the poll that nearly two-thirds, precisely 63% of Americans, support introducing term limits for justices serving on the Supreme Court, though this idea readily goes against the life tenure provision stipulated in the US Constitution. This substantial percentage of citizens who are proponents of judicial term limits implies that Americans do value the necessity for fresh perspectives within the Supreme Court’s bench, proposing a regular shuffling of justices to enable a balanced and evolving perspective on legal issues.
There appears to be significant bipartisan support for this notion as the poll reveals that term limits are favored by 68% of the surveyed Republicans, 61% of Democrats, and 60% of independents. The suggestion of an 18-year term limit was especially popular among the survey’s respondents.
Despite the favorable inclination towards imposing term limits, the study interestingly revealed an overall rejection of the idea of expanding the Supreme Court, commonly known as court-packing. The expansion of the Supreme Court could allow a president in power with the backing of both the House and Senate to nominate and confirm several like-minded justices, effectively tipping the scales of the court. It is seen that 63% of the respondents vehemently opposed this idea, with the opposition heavily supported by 72% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats, and 63% of independents.
The politicization of the Supreme Court became an increasingly prominent issue during the Trump administration, which saw three justices successfully nominated and confirmed. This recent history brought the subject matter to the national spotlight, which was widely debated during the 2020 Election. Many left-leaning advocates had proposed court-packing as a means to rebalance the court, which is often seen as leaning conservative due to its 6-3 split of justices appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents.
However, the poll data suggests that Americans widely favor the notion of imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices rather than expanding the size of the court. The data further demonstrates the critical role the Supreme Court and its composition play within the minds of Americans. As one of the key pillars of checks and balances in American democracy, the Supreme Court is viewed with an acute sense of importance by citizens across the political spectrum. As such, people seem more inclined towards maintaining its independence and impartiality rather than allowing it to turn into a tool of political opportunism.