Supreme Court Approval Drops as New Term Brings Divisive Issues

As the U.S. Supreme Court nears the start of a term that will pose fresh challenges to its institutional legitimacy, a new poll is showing declining confidence in the court and growing concern that it is driven by politics.

The Marquette University Law School poll, released Wednesday, found nationwide approval falling to 49%, down from 60% in July and from 66% a year ago. The poll showed that 39% view the court as deciding cases mainly on politics, the highest percentage in the two years the survey has been conducted.

Those numbers come as the court prepares for ...