Wide partisan gap in views of how high court should interpret Constitution understanding Should the US Supreme Court base its rulings on its understanding of Supreme what the U.S. Constitution rulings (%)
About half of the public (46%) says the U.S. Supreme Court should make its rulings based on its understanding of what the Constitution “meant as it was originally written,” while an identical share says the court should base its rulings on what the Constitution “means in current times,” according to a survey conducted in October. Public opinion about this issue has changed little in recent years.
Wide partisan gap in views of how high  | court should interpret Constitution  | understanding Should the US Supreme Court base its rulings on its  | understanding of Supreme what the U.S. Constitution rulings (%)  | Means in Meant as  | current times originally written  | Total  | 46  | 46  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 19  | 74  | Conservative  | 14  | 83  | Mod/Liberal  | 29  | 56  | Dem/Lea n Dem  | 69  | 23  | 64  | 30  | Cons/Mod  | 77  | 16  | Liberal  | Note: Other/ Don' t know responses notshown.  | Source Survey conducted Oct. 20-25, 2016.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 