A CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday showed that most Americans support both of the Supreme Court's major rulings last week upholding the Affordable Care Act and overturning same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Jennifer Agiesta has
the details:
According to a new CNN/ORC poll, 63% support the Court's ruling upholding government assistance for lower-income Americans buying health insurance through both state-operated and federally-run health insurance exchanges. Slightly fewer, 59%, say they back the ruling which made same-sex marriages legal in all 50 states.
Support for each ruling is sharply divided by party, with most Democrats and independents behind both, and most Republicans opposed to both.
Democrats are more apt to say they back the ruling on the 2010 health care law sometimes referred to as Obamacare -- 79% back it -- than they are to support the same-sex marriage decision, of which 70% favor. Among Republicans, 54% said they oppose the ruling on health care, while 59% oppose the ruling on same-sex marriage, not a statistically-significant difference. Among independents, 63% support each ruling.
That 63 percent independent support for both decisions is striking considering the gulf between indies and Republicans, who opposed both decisions by solid majorities.
One other interesting point is that 37 percent of Americans now say the high court is too liberal, up from 30 percent who said the same three years ago after the court issued its first ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act. On the flip side, 20 percent say its too conservative, while 40 percent say it's just right.