The Polls - Supreme Court Awareness

In January, FindLaw released the results of its most recent Supreme Court Awareness survey, a simple survey asking respondents to name the nine Supreme Court justices. At least one other blog (CrimProf) has posted the results, but it is useful to view the new results alongside past ones. I am aware of two other similar surveys, Findlaw's first Supreme Court Awareness survey in 2003 and Luntz Research's Three Stooges/Supreme Court survey in 1995.

Together, these three surveys reveal a fairly stable level of knowledge--or perhaps a stable lack of knowledge. Over half the population cannot name even a single sitting Supreme Court justice. Of those who can name one or more justices, the results are largely consistent in all three surveys. O'Connor was the most well-known in all three; Stevens and Breyer were the least well known. And although Thomas appears less well-known now than in 1995, most of the remaining variation in the surveys is likely within the range of sampling error. (Scalia may be slightly more well known now than in 1995.) One major difference in the December 2005 survey is that Chief Justice Roberts was a correct answer, not Rehnquist.  But despite Roberts' confirmation in September and all of the media coverage that went along with it, only 16% could recall his name by December.

Here are the results:

       8/1995                      6/2003                    12/2005
O'Connor    31%       O'Connor    25%        O'Connor   27%
Thomas       30%       Thomas       21%        Thomas      21%
Rehnquist    8%        Rehnquist   10%        Roberts     16%
Ginsburg      7%       Ginsburg        9%       Scalia         13%
Scalia            6%       Scalia            9%        Ginsburg    12%
Souter          4%       Souter           4%        Kennedy      7%
Kennedy       4%       Kennedy        4%        Souter         5%
Breyer          1%       Breyer           2%       Breyer         3%
Stevens        1%       Stevens         1%        Stevens       3%

zero              55%     zero             65%      zero            57%
one               16%     one+             35%      one+            43%
two               11%
three            17%

n=1200                     n=1000                      n=1000

While the specific ability to rattle off Supreme Court justices is not particularly important in and of itself, the public's poor performance in these surveys is a good indication that little is known about the Court in general. As for the Stooges, however, public knowledge appears more robust. In the 1995 survey, 67% of respondents could name three or more of the Stooges. Only 13% failed to name any. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any more recent Stooge data.

Sources:

1995 Survey: Joan Biskupic, Has the Court Lost Its Appeal?, Washington Post, Oct. 12, 1995, at A23; Richard Morin, Unconventional Wisdom, Washington Post, Oct. 8, 1995, at C5.

2003 Survey: FindLaw /PR Newswire

2005 Survey: FindLaw /Ipsos

The Stooges:
Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, and Curly Joe. (And Joe Besser?)

Comments

[Matthew Polder]

William stated "While the specific ability to rattle off Supreme Court justices is not particularly important in and of itself, the public's poor performance in these surveys is a good indication that little is known about the Court in general."

While this could be one indicator of the public's knowledge of the court, perhaps another would be knowledge of recent decisions by the court. I imagine (though I could be proved wrong) that more people know of the courts decision on eminent domain than knowing the justices who ruled on it. This would be an interesting survey to conduct.