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 Limiting terms would be difficult, requiring an amendment to the
U.S. Constitution. Congress shows no signs of taking up the idea,
though Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz has suggested the
possibility of justices being voted out of office.
Support for the 10-year term limit proposed by the poll was
bipartisan, with 66 percent saying they favored such a change while
17 percent supported life tenure.
The two big rulings in June were widely welcomed by liberals.
Nevertheless, 66 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Republicans and
68 percent of independents said they favored the 10-year term limit
idea, according to the poll.
Respondents were not asked their preference on how long the
justices' terms should last. Over the years, legal experts have
debated 8-, 10-, 14- and 18-year limits.
The poll showed broad understanding of the court, with 68 percent
saying they knew justices are appointed, not elected, and 60 percent
saying they knew the appointments are for life.
 Under the Constitution, presidents appoint the justices subject to
confirmation by the U.S. Senate, a process only 32 percent of
respondents backed. Forty-eight percent said justices should be
elected.
There was little support in the poll for tinkering with the court's
role as the final arbiter of U.S. law. Only 29 percent said they
would support allowing Congress or the president to overrule court
decisions.
HIGH COURT CLOUT
The poll was conducted after the court in June legalized same-sex
marriage nationwide and rejected a conservative group's challenge to
Democratic President Barack Obama's healthcare law, drawing renewed
attention to the high court's clout.
The court can decide what rights Americans have, and it can strike
down laws passed by Congress if they are deemed to violate the
Constitution.
Since its founding in 1789, the court has tackled the country's most
divisive issues, ranging from property rights and slavery to racial
segregation and abortion. Both the same-sex marriage and Obamacare
rulings, decided by majorities of 5-4 and 6-3 respectively, were
highly unpopular among Republicans. The party's 2016 presidential
hopefuls roundly condemned them.
After the rulings, Cruz said the court had "crossed from the realm
of activism into the arena of oligarchy." He said justices should
face periodic retention elections, as many U.S. states require for
their state-level high courts.
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More than 80 percent of respondents who said they identified
strongly with the conservative Tea Party movement said they would
favor the 10-year term limit.
A nonpartisan advocacy group called Fix the Court wants justices to
voluntarily step down after 18 years. Chief Justice John Roberts
marks a decade in office in September. Of his eight colleagues, five
have served for more than 20 years while the other three were
appointed in the last decade.
"It's not surprising that Supreme Court terms limits are supported
across party lines since, as a nation, we've always felt it's wrong
for a handful of individuals to hold on to immense power for decades
on end, as is the current trend at the high court," said Gabe Roth,
Fix the Court's executive director.
Of the nine justices, five were appointed by Republican presidents
and four by Democrats. The longest serving sitting justice is
Antonin Scalia, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.
To take effect, a constitutional amendment must go through an
adoption and ratification process requiring overwhelming support of
Congress and the states. The last amendment ratified was the 27th in
1992. It prevents members of Congress from giving themselves pay
raises during current sessions.
The poll was conducted between July 10 and July 17 among 1,611
people. Reuters/Ipsos online polls are measured with a credibility
interval. Among all respondents, the Supreme Court poll had an
overall credibility interval of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Howard
Goller)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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