(Week of 6/9/2012) As the Supreme Court nears the release of its decision on the Obama Administration’s health care reform law, Americans overwhelmingly doubt the Court will keep the law intact. Only 10% of those in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll say the law will survive without changes, while more than half expect parts of the law—particularly its most controversial component, the individual mandate — to be declared unconstitutional.
Just 15% of Democrats, who are most likely to support the law, expect it will survive the Court challenge. Overall, four in ten Americans admit they don’t know what the Court will do.
The law divided the country even before its passage. And it still does. In this week’s poll, 34% say they want the law either expanded or kept as it is, while 39% think it should be repealed. Partisan divisions on this question are stark: 78% of Republicans want the law repealed, 62% of Democrats want it kept or expanded.
Should the Court strike down the law’s provision that all Americans purchase health care insurance, most Americans would be pleased. More than twice as many think that provision is unconstitutional as say it is constitutional.
The President’s rating on health care is marginally lower than his overall rating: this week 39% approve of how he has handled the issue of health care, while 50% disapprove. Those numbers have changed little in months.
Neither has the overall approval of the President. As has been the case for months, the President’s overall approval rating remains in the low to mid-40s.
Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here
Photo source: Press Association
