Shift in public views of how Supreme Court should interpret Constitution rulings % who say the understanding USS Supreme Courtshould base its rulings on its understanding of whatthe Constitution
A majority of Americans (55%) now say the U.S. Supreme Court should base its rulings on what the Constitution “means in current times,” while 41% say rulings should be based on what it “meant as originally written,” according to a recent Pew Research Center report on American democratic values.
This represents a shift in public opinion, which was divided on this question for more than a decade. When Pew Research Center last asked the question in October 2016, 46% said the high court should base its rulings on what the document means in current times, while an identical share (46%) said rulings should be based on what it meant when originally written.
Nearly eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (78%) now say rulings should be based on the Constitution’s meaning in current times, higher than at any previous point on record and up 9 percentage points from 2016 (69%). Just three-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners now say the same, an 11-point increase from 2016 but little changed from GOP views in the years prior.
Shift in public views of how Supreme  | Court should interpret Constitution  | rulings % who say the understanding USS Supreme Courtshould base its  | rulings on its understanding of whatthe Constitution  | Means in current times  | 55  | 50  | 46  | 46  | 46  | Meant as originally written  | 2005  | 2010  | 2015  | 2018  | rulings % who say the understanding U.S. Supreme Courtshould base its  | rulings on its understanding of what the Constitution  | rulings means in current understanding times  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 78  | 69  | 69  | 66  | 43  | 30  | 30  | 30  | 26  | 19  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 2005  | 2010  | 2015  | 2018  | *2005 Notes: Don data based on pa rtisans (notincluding 2010 leaners).  | Notes: Don 'tknow responses notshown. (notincluding 2010 ABC/Washington data from  | Kaiser/Washington responses Post/Harvard 2005 from ABC/Washington  | Post  | Source Survey ofu.s adults conducted March 7-14. 2018  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 