Poll: Support for Supreme Court Up Since Obamacare Arguments

A new poll from Rasmussen shows approval for the Supreme Court among Americans has risen since the Court held its high-profile hearings on Obamacare two weeks ago. According to the poll, which was taken on April 6 and 7, 41 percent of likely voters rate the Court's work as "good" or "excellent," compared with just 28 percent saying the same thing in mid-March, shortly before the oral arguments. Disapproval of the Court's performance remains steady at 19 percent.

Here's more from Rasmussen:

It is impossible to know if the improved perceptions of the court came from the hearings themselves, President Obama’s comments cautioning the court about overturning a law passed by Congress, or from other factors. Approval of the court had fallen in three consecutive quarterly surveys prior to the health care hearings.

The partisan turnaround in views of the court is noticeable. Three weeks ago, 29% of Republicans gave the Supreme Court positive marks for its job performance; now that number has climbed to 54%. Similarly, among voters not affiliated with either of the major political parties, good or excellent ratings for the court have increased from 26% in mid-March to 42% now. Democrats’ views of the court are largely unchanged.

Among all voters, 28% now think the Supreme Court is too liberal, 29% say it’s too conservative, and 31% believe the ideological balance is about right. The number who view the court as too liberal is down five points from a month ago.