Supreme Court justices had been thought to be separate from the court of public opinion — in the equivalent of their ivory tower and not being influenced by current events.
But the pure truth of that has been in question.
Now a new survey put together by a Princeton psychology professor and a RAND behavioral and social scientist indicates the impact high court rulings have on the greater public.
The survey focused on gay marriage and concluded that the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue affected how individuals perceived whether public opinion on it was in transition.
We spoke with Margaret Tankard of RAND, who was the lead author of the study.
It’s called "The Effect of a Supreme Court Decision Regarding Gay Marriage on Social Norms and Personal Attitudes."
