Poll: Most think politics will influence Supreme Court health care decision

Paul Clement, a lawyer for 26 states seeking to have the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act tossed out in its entirety, leaves the Supreme Court in Washington, March 28, 2012, at the end of arguments regarding the health care law signed by President Obama.

/ AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

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A CBS News/New York Times poll released on Thursday shows that most Americans think the Supreme Court's health care decision will be based on justices' personal and political views.

According to the poll, 55 percent of Americans believe political positions will play a role in the health care decision, compared to 32 percent who believe justices will decide the case based on legal analysis. While fewer Republicans - 48 percent - believe personal or political views play a role, there respondents of different political stripes have a similar view. Fifty-six percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents say justices' political views will influence the health care outcome. The margin of error is three percentage points.

The Supreme Court is considered to have four liberal-leaning justices and four conservative-leaning justices with one who is considered to be the swing vote.

CBS News/ New York Times asked a similar question of the Supreme Court but did not limit it to the health care law. Seventy-six percent of respondents said Supreme Court justices' decisions are sometimes influenced by their personal views. Respondents' answers were the same regardless of political affiliation.

As for the health care law, nearly seven in ten Americans want the Supreme Court to overturn either all of President Obama's health care law or strike down just the individual mandate.

Nearly one-quarter - 24 percent - of respondents want the entire law upheld.

The percentage that wants to see the entire law abolished is up slightly since April, when 37 percent said they wanted the court to overturn the full law, 29 percent said only the mandate should be overturned and 23 percent wanted the whole law upheld.

The poll also found that while 48 percent disapprove of the law, 34 percent of those polled approve it, which is fewer than the 39 percent who approved in April but more than the 32 percent who approved in March 2010, the same month the law was signed into law.

CBS

Thirty-seven percent of respondents say the law went too far while 27 percent said it didn't go far enough. A quarter of those polled say the law is about right.

Though most Americans - 72 percent - say they know at least some of the details about the 2010 health care law, only 28 percent say they know a lot about it. Of that 28 percent who know a lot about the law, 62 percent disapprove of it, including 58 percent who disapprove strongly.

The poll also asked participants about their approval of Congress. Fifteen percent of respondents approve of the job Congress is doing while 77 percent disapprove. Congress' approval ratings has increased since October 2011, when it saw its lowest approval ratings at 9 percent.

More from the poll:

Poll: 60 percent oppose lifetime Supreme Court appointments
Poll: Most Americans think Arizona immigration law is "about right"
Poll: Most want Supreme Court to overturn individual health care mandate

Read The Complete Poll (PDF)

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This poll was conducted by telephone from May 31-June 3, 2012 among 976 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[mikesfilms]

The agendas. Obama: bin Laden is dead--GM is alive--Medicare and SS are safe. Romney/Ryan: Medicare vouchers--"privatize" SS--lower the rich tax--increase Defense spending now that two wars are winding down--hide offshore accounts.

[mikesfilms]

The agendas. Obama: bin Laden is dead--GM is alive--Medicare and SS are safe. Romney/Ryan: Medicare vouchers--"privatize" SS--lower the rich tax--increase Defense spending now that two wars are winding down--hide offshore accounts.

[joj33]

Someone please tell me, what is Democratic, when Nine people are allowed to dictate what they perceive to be in the best interest of the whole country?? Why are we not voting on issues, such as the Obama Care? We vote for who we believe will be our best President, so, why aren't we the American people, allowed to vote on issues that affect us all? I'm against any political body that's appointed by any President or Congress, telling the American people what what they think we need.

[janeteleanor]

With Obamacare WE NOW HAVE THE DEATH PANELS!!!

[benunhappy]

insurance companies have taken our money and had great vacations with it for years when we have no claims. this shows how inconciderate politics can be. Those who have chosen to follow these corporation bought republicans also follw the same who go against our constitution andgo against god's command to help the poor and take care of the sick and needy. They who put thier money before GOD will pay with salvation when the good lord calls.

[diamruby]

Of course we know that all persons against the health reform are: not on welfare, medicaid, social security, disability, all pay large monthly medical insurance premimums willingly, pay in full for all medical services performed by a doctor or hospital, have no medical insurance at work, have never filed medical bankruptcy, never taken any free education or medical even though they qualified under the government rules, never hiding assets to qualify, always ready to pay the full tab, no matter the cost. Alot of us were not lucky or smart enough to get a good job with a good employer with benefits, or wages that enabled us to put money away for a rainy day. The problem we all have is the high cost of health insurance, doctors, hospital care, & dental care. These are the issues the government needs to address. Even with 600.00 per month premiums when you go to the hospital or doctor very little is covered due to the crooked insurance companies way of doing business.

[nancy_naive]

A $600/month family plan will have a $3000 deductable, and co-pays.

The median household income is about $60,000 which mean that 50% of the people will pay far more in premiums than taxes... and get less for it.

[watkinsjr2000]

Right wingers have long complained about the U.S. Supreme Court legislating from the bench, but they'd welcome the Court doing exactly that in deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act.The Supreme Court is every bit as partisan as Congress & Republicans hold a 5-4 majority there. So, I expect the most significant piece of social legislation in half a century (the Affordable Care Act)to be dismantled by the party line vote of five political hacks in the coming weeks. The Court did the same thing in 2000 when it simply ignored the result of the popular vote & a grossly partisan Florida vote count in the presidential election to declare George W. Bush the winner (even though Al Gore received almost 600,000 more popular votes & obviously won the election). Both decisions will join the Dred Scott decision in the U.S. Supreme Courts "Hall Of Shame"!

[whoamiVI]

of course its politically motivated.wonder which polititions have interest in the insurance companies we will be forced to pay by being american citizens.only ones who will win in this is insurance companies. not you me or the doctors it claims to protect.Better health care yes we need.

[hillzhavays]

by StageCoachDriver June 7, 2012 9:53 PM EDT
Even the Canadian PM came to the US for his health care, turning his back on his own Canadian Health Care system. You ever wonder why?
________________________________

Considering that socialized medicine is bankrupting the flagship economies of free healthcare - Great Britain and Canada - and the actual architect of the Canadian Healthcare system, Claude Castonguay, openly admits the system is a shambles, no, I don't really wonder why.

What I do wonder about is why Democrats insist that we have to have it, but don't bother to figure out how to pay for it.

[grwilliams20]

Why should you wonder? The answer is obvious. The Democrats have always been the party of basket of money. Without new taxes; the transfer of wealth from one class to another they are nothing, absolutely nothing. Their only raison d'etre is to establish new benefits for their constituency with which they can buy votes. Without that they can never be re-elected. Even when we reached the point where revenues were insufficient to meet obligations they refused to accept reality and proceed to establish new programs, and borrow to fill their basket of bribe money. The Democrats live in a fantasy world that would lead us to the fate of Greece than reform their ways. Such is the state that Obamacare will lead us. You need not wonder because the facts are as plain as the nose on your face.

[coolman4ya]

I agree that the Democrats try to pay for things using money we don't have. But then again, Republicans do the same thing. The difference would be what they are trying to pay for. Democrats are trying to pay for improvements at the consumer level. Republicans try to pay for war and WE THE PEOPLE ultimately pay for it.

To the last poster about the doctors. Don't put doctors in the same boat with you an I. They are puppets for the drug companies. If they weren't charging what they do, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Insurance companies shouldn't be necessary. And, they wouldn't be if doctors stopped getting rich off the ill. They try to justify the overpriced medical equipment. But they are more caught up in being "state of the art" which translates to glamorous. They spend zero time looking for cures that might exist in someone cupboard. Instead, they open up their 10000 page medical book to find out which pill they need to prescribe. "Oh its okay, I have insurance...they'll pay for it". This is the normal mentality of doctors. They cater to drug and insurance companies...but never to the ill. Remember doc baker from Little House? He got paid in chickens. He also used whatever means he had to cure someone. It was never about money or supporting a company. He was the epitome of servant. THAT is what a doctor is supposed to be...a servant. But now a doctor is nothing but a puppet on a corporate string..getting free vacations and other incentives from drug companies for prescribing their pills. I heard my previous family doctor getting red with a drug company salesman in the next room for speaking out loud about the vacation they provided.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Politics and personal opinions have no place in rulings by the Supreme Court.

The decision should be based on the contents of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

[OweninNJ]

Any time people gather for any purpose; business, politics, philanthropy...etc., political considerations are a part of the equation. People are political animals by nature, looking to protect themselves and their interests in all walks of life. The SC is no different.

[grwilliams20]

The Left views the SCOTUS role as assisting them in imposing social injustice upon society, while the conservatives view the SCOTUS role as conserving the liberties and rights protected by the Constitution. The Left has always been short-sighted in its thinking, failing to recognize the unintended consequences of their actions. By ceding Congress virtually unlimited power within the Commerce Clause; to not only regulate interstate commerce but force it to occur, they fail to recognize that doing so not only gives that body unrestrained power to act benignly but also malignantly. Only those who live in the fantasy world of the Left would be so blind.

[1stlttightwad]

The decision to rule on the constitutionality of Obama is a foregone conclussion.. All of the justices whether liberal or not take their duties seriously and maybe just in their own mind they feel that their rulings are just..Now, when Obmama slaps them down and calls them a bunch of "unelected officials" they will show him in a collective voice just who is boss..and he can't do a darn thing about it. It will be declared unconstitutional.