Updated Aug. 6, 2026, 6:17 a.m. ET
Inflation and the cost of living are the most important issues to Americans, while more adults disapprove than approve of the Supreme Court, the president and both parties in Congress, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll.
The president’s approval and economic concerns: both rising
The poll, conducted from July 22 through July 29 by SSRS of U.S. adults, reported that 35% of people ranked inflation and the cost of living as the most important issue to them personally. That is down from 37% in May.
The economy took the number two spot, with 15% of respondents picking that as their most important issue. Other options included the Iran war (10%), Medicare & Social Security (9%), the SAVE America Act (9%) and 5% each for health care, immigration/border security and affordable housing.
Marquette’s poll saw a two-point rise in President Donald Trump‘s approval rating, which sat at 40%, up from 38% from June 9-15 polling. Marquette released part of the poll on Aug. 5 and a second Supreme Court-focused part on Aug. 6.
When asked what effect Trump’s policies will have on inflation, 61% of respondents said that they will make inflation increase, 21% said they will make inflation decrease, and 18% predicted no effect.
Supreme Court approval remains low but decision-approval is favorable
The Supreme Court’s approval rating sits at 47% and has remained under 50% since November 2025, according to Marquette. There’s a partisan split, with 74% of Republicans approving of the country’s high court, while only 22% of Democrats and 35% of Independents approve.
“The public sees the Court’s justices through partisan filters, though many are unfamiliar with the individual justices,” Kevin Conway, a communications director with the Marquette Law School poll, said in a press release.
This approval rate is 14 points higher than a 33% Supreme Court approval rating in Gallup polling on July 28, reported by USA TODAY.
When it comes to the president’s relationship to the court, 54% of respondents thought the court is “going out of its way to avoid” rulings that Trump may refuse to obey. A similar 55% of people felt that the court rules in favor of Trump often or fairly often since his second term. That had a partisan split, with 37% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats seeing the court leaning toward Trump.
Marquette also asked respondents about specific Supreme Court decisions in their recent term. Here’s a breakdown of where approval stood on some major decisions:
- 70% approved of the decision that the president could not remove a member of the Federal Reserve
- 66% approved of the court denying to hear Trump’s appeal in his $5 million E. Jean Carroll verdict
- 66% approved blocking Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
- 65% approved of banning transgender athletes in women’s sports
- 63% approved upholding birthright citizenship
- 62% approved allowing mail-in ballots received after Election Day, but postmarked before Dlection Day, to be counted
- 53% approved of the decision that the Voting Rights Act does not require majority-minority districts
Only 2 of the 13 decisions asked about were unfavorable: 51% opposed the president being able to remove heads of independent agencies, and 53% opposed allowing parties to coordinate with candidate campaigns.
Dems lead on generic ballot, but GOP approval in Congress is higher
As November’s midterms edge nearer, Democrats are still leading Republicans on the generic ballot, but by shrinking margins.
In the July numbers, Marquette found that 46% of registered voters preferred Democrats on the generic ballot, but only leading by two points to Republicans, sitting at 44%. In June, there was also that two-point gap, but with Democrats at 47% and Republicans at 45%.
Among likely voters, though, the Democrats’ lead over Republicans increased. In the July polling, 51% of likely voters said they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their districts, and only 45% said the Republican candidate.
The GOP did have a win: higher approval in Congress, although more adults disapprove than approve of both parties. Thirty-seven percent of people in July approved of Republicans in Congress, while only 34% of people approved of Democrats. That 37% approval for Republicans was also seen in April and May polling, but Democrats saw 30% in those two months – meaning 34% is a four-point rise for the blue team.
