# Where Americans land on the Supreme Court's power Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/politics/where-americans-land-on-the-supreme-courts-power/ Published: 2026-06-21 > Featured topic in Politics. A 55% majority say the Supreme Court should have the final word on the Constitution even when most people disagree, yet 54% want stronger means to control the Court, and 56% reject doing away with it. ## Framing: Authority, but on a leash Americans hold the Supreme Court in a kind of conditional regard. They grant it real interpretive authority, but pair that with a clear appetite for checks on its power. About 55% say the Court should decide what the Constitution means even against majority opinion, while 54% want stronger means to control its actions. Trust is soft rather than deep, and only about one in five would consider abolishing the Court. ## Americans grant the Court real authority 55.0% agree the Court should have the right to say what the Constitution means even when a majority disagrees, including 26.6% who agree strongly and 28.4% somewhat. A similar 53.1% agree that Court decisions must always be carried out, even if that limits Congress and the president. ## But they want it kept in check 53.7% agree the Court inevitably gets mixed up in politics and that the country needs stronger means of controlling it. Opinion splits on narrowing its reach: 32.3% disagree that the Court's right to decide certain cases should be reduced, 30.7% agree, and 37.1% take neither side. ## Trust is soft, but abolition is a step too far Trust is lukewarm: 45.5% agree the Court can usually be trusted to decide what is right for the country, while 29.5% disagree and 25.0% take neither side. The limits of frustration are clear: 56.2% reject doing away with the Court if it made unpopular decisions, while 21.2% would be open to it. ## Supporting evidence ### 55.0% say the Court should interpret the Constitution even against majority opinion. Question: Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: The U.S. Supreme Court should have the right to say what the Constitution means, even when a majority of the people disagree with its decisions. Note: 55.0% agree the Court should have the right to say what the Constitution means even when a majority disagrees. Topline: - Agree somewhat: 28.4% - Agree strongly: 26.6% - Neither agree nor disagree: 23.7% - Disagree somewhat: 13.1% - Disagree strongly: 8.1% ### 53.7% want stronger means of controlling the Court. Question: Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: It is inevitable the U.S. Supreme Court gets mixed up in politics; therefore, we ought to have stronger means of controlling the Court's actions. Note: 53.7% agree the country needs stronger means of controlling the Court's actions. Topline: - Agree somewhat: 32.0% - Neither agree nor disagree: 26.3% - Agree strongly: 21.7% - Disagree somewhat: 11.1% - Disagree strongly: 8.9% ### 56.2% reject doing away with the Court over unpopular decisions. Question: Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: If the U.S. Supreme Court started making a lot of decisions people disagreed with, it might be better to do away with the Supreme Court altogether. Note: 56.2% reject doing away with the Court if it made unpopular decisions; 21.2% would be open to it. Topline: - Disagree strongly: 34.9% - Neither agree nor disagree: 22.6% - Disagree somewhat: 21.3% - Agree somewhat: 12.7% - Agree strongly: 8.5% ## Methodology - Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting - Population: US adults age 18+ - Field dates: 2026-06-21 → 2026-06-21 - Base (unweighted): 1,000 - Margin of error: +/- 3.2% - Module: 1 - Sponsor: Verasight - Weight variable: weight - Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status ## Sources - [Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: The U.S. Supreme Court should have the right to say what the Constitution means, even when a majority of the people disagree with its decisions.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-76): reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26: 55.0% agree the Court should have the right to say what the Constitution means even when a majority disagrees. - [Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: It is inevitable the U.S. Supreme Court gets mixed up in politics; therefore, we ought to have stronger means of controlling the Court's actions.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-65): reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26: 53.7% agree the country needs stronger means of controlling the Court's actions. - [Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: The Supreme Court can usually be trusted to make decision that are right for the country as a whole.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-87): reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26: 45.5% agree the Court can usually be trusted to make decisions right for the country, while 29.5% disagree. - [Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: If the U.S. Supreme Court started making a lot of decisions people disagreed with, it might be better to do away with the Supreme Court altogether.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-109): reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26: 56.2% reject doing away with the Court if it made unpopular decisions; 21.2% would be open to it. - [Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: Supreme Court decisions must always be carried out even if it means limiting the power of Congress and the president to ensure the Court gets its way.](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-1): reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26: 53.1% agree Court decisions must always be carried out, even if that limits Congress and the president. ## Citation Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2026-050, fielded June 21-21, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%. Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-76](https://reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26#q-76)