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Supreme Court / Judiciary	See also: Abortion \| Congress: confirmation process \| Election 2000 recount \| Law & civil rights \| Major institutions \| Race & ethnicity \| John Roberts

Gallup Poll. Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2009. N=1,026 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Supreme Court is handling its job?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/2/09	61	28	11
	6/14-17/09	59	30	11
	9/8-11/08	50	39	11
	6/9-12/08	48	38	14
	9/14-16/07	51	39	10
	5/10-13/07	51	36	13
	9/7-10/06	60	32	8
	9/12-15/05	56	36	8
	6/24-26/05	42	48	10
	9/13-15/04	51	39	10
	9/8-10/03	52	38	10
	7/7-9/03	59	33	8
	9/5-8/02	60	29	11
	9/7-10/01	58	28	14
	6/11-17/01	62	25	13
	1/10-14/01	59	34	7
	8/29 - 9/5/00	62	29	9

"In general, do you think the current Supreme Court is too liberal, too conservative, or just about right?"

		Too Liberal	Too Conservative	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/2/09	28	19	50	3
	9/8-11/08	21	30	43	6
	9/14-16/07	21	32	43	5
	9/7-10/06	21	31	43	6
	9/12-15/05	25	25	45	5

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. July 31-Aug. 3, 2009. Adults nationwide.

"As you may know, Sonia Sotomayor is the federal judge nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Sotomayor serving on the Supreme Court, or not?" N=506 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5

		Vote in Favor	Not Vote in Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/31 - 8/3/09	51	36	14
	6/26-28/09	47	40	13

"As you may know, Sonia Sotomayor is the federal judge who Barack Obama nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Sotomayor serving on the Supreme Court, or not?" N=521 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5

		Vote in Favor	Not Vote in Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/31 - 8/3/09	61	31	8

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). July 24-27, 2009. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"Now I'm going to read you the names of several public figures, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as either very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don't know the name, please just say so. Sonia Sotomayor."

		Very Positive	Somewhat Positive	Neutral	Somewhat Negative	Very Negative	Don't Know Name/Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	7/24-27/09	16	15	22	14	13	20
	6/12-15/09	13	17	24	8	8	30

"As you may know, Barack Obama recently nominated Sonia Sotomayor to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose Sonia Sotomayor's serving as a justice on the Supreme Court, or do you not know enough about her to say?"

		Strongly Support	Somewhat Support	Somewhat Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	7/24-27/09	25	19	13	17	25	1
	6/12-15/09	21	22	9	11	35	2

Pew Research Center Poll. July 22-26, 2009. N=746 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"How much, if anything, have you heard about Barack Obama's choice of Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Supreme Court justice: a lot, a little, or nothing at all?"

		A Lot	A Little	Nothing at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/22-26/09	46	33	19	2
	6/10-14/09	39	38	21	2

"From what you've seen and heard so far, do you think the Senate should or should not confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?"

		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/22-26/09	50	23	27
	6/10-14/09	50	25	25

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 21-22, 2009. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"I'm going to read you the names of several individuals and institutions. Please tell me whether you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of each one. If you've never heard of an individual or institution, please just say so. Sonia Sotomayor."

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Can't Say	Never Heard of
		%	%	%	%
	7/21-22/09	41	24	19	15
	6/9-10/09	36	18	25	21

"President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. If you were voting on Sotomayor's nomination, would you vote to confirm her or not?"

		Confirm	Not Confirm	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/21-22/09	53	29	19
	6/9-10/09	46	32	22

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 17-19, 2009. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"Now, turning to the U.S. Supreme Court: As you may know, Sonia Sotomayor is the federal judge nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of Sotomayor serving on the Supreme Court, or not?"

		Vote In Favor	Not Vote In Favor	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/17-19/09	55	36	9
	7/10-12/09	53	33	13
	5/29-31/09	54	28	19

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. July 9-13, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.

"Now, I'd like to read you a list of various national public figures, and for each one, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of them. If you haven't heard of them, just tell me and we'll move on. Sonia Sotomayor."

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Heard of/Can't Rate (vol.)	Haven't Heard of	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	31	24	15	24	5

"On the topic of President Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court, do you support or oppose the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States?" Options rotated

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/9-13/09	50	28	22

Gallup Poll. July 10-12, 2009. N=1,018 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Next, we'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, lease say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people -- or if you have never heard of them. How about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Never Heard of	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/10-12/09	38	26	19	17
	5/29-31/09	43	21	15	21

"How closely are you following the news about Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"

		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/10-12/09	14	39	27	19	1
	5/29-31/09	20	40	22	18	-

CBS News Poll. July 9-12, 2009. N=944 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Is your opinion of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't heard enough about Sonia Sotomayor yet to have an opinion?"

		Favorable	Not Favorable	Undecided	Haven't Heard Enough
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	23	15	23	39
	6/12-16/09	33	9	22	36

"What do you think right now? Should the Senate vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, or vote against Sotomayor, or can't you say?"

		Vote to Confirm	Vote Against	Can't Say	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	30	14	52	4
	6/12-16/09	34	9	53	4

"How important do you think it is for there to be another woman on the Supreme Court? Would you say it is very important, somewhat important, not very important or not important at all?"

		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	35	31	14	18	2

"How important do you think it is for there to be a Hispanic on the Supreme Court? Would you say it is very important, somewhat important, not very important or not important at all?"

		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	21	32	20	25	2

"If Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court, do you think she will favor certain groups over others when making her judicial decisions, or do you think she will treat all groups the same under the law?"

		Will Favor Certain Groups	Will Treat All the Same	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/9-12/09	21	60	2	17
	6/12-16/09	18	55	2	25

Quinnipiac University Poll. June 23-29, 2009. N=3,063 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 1.8.

"Do you approve or disapprove of President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/23-29/09	54	26	20
	5/26 - 6/1/09	55	25	20

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. June 26-28, 2009. N=1,026 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Suppose the upcoming confirmation hearings indicate that Sonia Sotomayor is qualified and has no ethical problems. Do you think U.S. Senators would be justified or unjustified in voting against her if they disagree with her stance on current issues such as abortion or gun control?"

		Justified	Unjustified	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/26-28/09	47	49	5

"What do you think is more likely to occur during the Senate confirmation hearings for Sotomayor: a relatively easy process in which Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement, or a major fight between Republicans and Democrats that would drag on for a long time?"

		Relatively Easy	Major Fight	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/26-28/09	38	60	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. June 18-21, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).

"As you may know, Obama has nominated federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Do you think the U.S. Senate should or should not confirm Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court?"

		Should	Should Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	62	25	13
	Democrats	79	11	10
	Independents	64	26	10
	Republicans	36	43	21

"Given what you know, do you think Sotomayor is a more liberal nominee than you'd have liked, less liberal than you'd have liked, or about right?"

		More Liberal	Less Liberal	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	26	8	55	12

"Do you think Sotomayor's racial and ethnic background plays a role in the way she decides cases as a judge, or not?" If "Yes": "Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?"

		Yes: Good	Yes: Bad	No	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	16	22	52	10

"Do you think the fact that Sotomayor is a woman plays a role in the way she decides cases as a judge, or not?" If "Yes": "Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?"

		Yes: Good	Yes: Bad	No	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	23	10	59	8

"The Supreme Court legalized abortion 36 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want Sotomayor to vote to uphold Roe versus Wade, or vote to overturn it?" Options rotated

		Uphold	Overturn	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	60	34	6

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 12-16, 2009. N=895 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"When the Senate votes on a Supreme Court nominee, should it consider only that person's legal qualifications and background, or along with legal background, should the Senate also consider that nominee's personal views on major issues the Supreme Court decides?"

		Legal Only	Issues, Too	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	30	62	8
	1/5-8/06	32	61	7

"How important is it for the members of the Supreme Court to reflect the diverse gender, ethnic and racial make-up of the country as a whole? Is it very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?"

		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	43	31	12	11	3

"How closely would you say you have been following news about the appointment of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court: very closely, somewhat closely, not very closely, or not at all?"

		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Very Closely	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	22	39	19	18	2

"Before senators vote on whether Sonia Sotomayor should be confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court, how important do you think it is for the Senate to know her positions on issues such as abortion and affirmative action? Is that very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important?"

		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	48	28	11	11	2

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). June 12-15, 2009. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1 (for all adults).

"Based on what you have heard so far, do you think that Sonia Sotomayor is qualified or not qualified to be a Supreme Court justice, or do you not know enough about her to say?"

		Qualified	Not Qualified	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	50	13	35	2

"How much confidence do you have that, if she is confirmed by the Senate to sit on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor will reflect your views about most issues: a great deal of confidence, quite a bit of confidence, some confidence, very little confidence, or no confidence at all? If you have no opinion, please just say so." Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4

		A Great Deal	Quite a Bit	Some	Very Little	None at All	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	12	14	20	14	13	27

"Based on what you have heard, seen, or read about Sonia Sotomayor's decisions as a judge and her personal viewpoints do you feel that she would be within the mainstream of the Supreme Court and past justices who have served, or outside the mainstream of the Supreme Court and past justices who have served? If you do not know enough to have an opinion, just say so." Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4

		Within Mainstream	Outside Mainstream	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	28	33	35	4

Pew Research Center Poll. June 10-14, 2009. N=1,502 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"What is your impression of Sonia Sotomayor? Do you think she is liberal, moderate, or conservative?"

		Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	31	34	8	26

"As I read some issues the Supreme Court may rule on over the coming years, please tell me how important each issue is to you personally. First, are court decisions on [see below] very important, fairly important, not too important, or not at all important to you?"

		Very Important	Fairly Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Abortion"
	6/10-14/09	55	20	11	11	3
	11/3-6/05	62	20	8	8	2

	"Affirmative action"
	6/10-14/09	40	32	14	7	8
	11/3-6/05	38	37	12	7	6

	"Issues related to homosexuality"
	6/10-14/09	33	18	20	25	4
	11/3-6/05	36	20	20	21	3

	"The rights of people held in custody as terrorist suspects"
	6/10-14/09	57	25	9	6	3
	11/3-6/05	57	23	10	6	4

	"Election and voting rules"
	6/10-14/09	57	25	9	5	3

Earlier polling on the judiciary

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