A fresh academic report is making serious waves—validating Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s fiery rebuke that the nation’s highest court leans toward America’s elites.
The new research, dropped this Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, scrutinizes decades of Supreme Court decisions and uncovers a stark trend: when cases pit fat cats against folks of modest means, Republican-appointed justices overwhelmingly tip the scales for the wealthy.
A trio of researchers—Columbia University’s Andrea Prat and Jacob Spitz, plus Yale’s Fiona Scott Morton—crunched numbers on rulings going all the way back to 1953. Their bombshell conclusion? The conservative stars of the current bench—Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Chief Justice John Roberts—side with deep-pocketed litigants a stunning 70% of the time.
Rewind to Eisenhower’s era, and justices from both parties were almost identical: about 45% of their votes went to the rich. Fast forward to 2022, and the gap has exploded. GOP appointees hit that 70% mark for pro-wealthy decisions, while Democrats dipped to just 35%. The report defines a ‘pro-rich’ ruling as one directly funneling money or resources to a party more likely to be among the affluent, including siding with corporations against consumers or employees. The numbers show a long, gradual split, mainly driven by the shifting philosophy of Republican appointees over 70 years.
Jackson’s warning shot came in June during a heated 7-2 decision, where justices granted oil and gas giants the green light to challenge strict California auto emission standards. ‘This case stokes the unfortunate belief that those with big wallets get a smoother ride in this Court than everyday Americans,’ Jackson cautioned in her written opinion. ‘My concern is that the fossil fuel industry’s win here is digging this Court’s reputation even deeper into a pro-corporate hole.’
With headlines blaring about plunging approval ratings, the Supreme Court’s image is taking a hit: a Pew poll found its popularity nosedived 22 points in five years—sliding from a 70% favorable rating in 2020 to just 48% by late 2023. Neither the Supreme Court nor its public information office has responded to requests for comment as the fallout from this explosive study continues.
