---
title: "Supreme Court’s Shifting Ideology"
description: "Compared with 2007, fewer people view the Supreme Court as conservative and more see it as liberal."
date: "2010-07-14"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2010/07/14/supreme-courts-shifting-ideology/"
---

# Supreme Court’s Shifting Ideology

During the Obama administration, more Americans — and especially Republicans — view the Supreme Court as liberal. As many now say the court is liberal (23%) as say it is conservative (23%). In 2007, far more Americans saw the Supreme Court as conservative (36%) than saw it as liberal (15%). Currently, 39% say the Supreme Court is middle of the road, little changed from 2007 (35%). In the past three years, the proportion of Republicans saying the Supreme Court is liberal has doubled, from 18% to 34%, while the percentage saying the court is conservative has fallen from 26% to 12%. The proportion of Democrats and independents seeing the Supreme Court as liberal has also risen over the last three years, but not as drastically. A plurality of all three groups now see the Supreme Court as middle of the road. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1661/supreme-court-favorability-ideology-views-congress-democratic-republican-party)