For the sixth consecutive year, NCSC contracted with GBAO Strategies to conduct a comprehensive public opinion survey of 1,000 registered voters in order to gauge current levels of public trust and confidence in the state courts.
The survey was conducted online between November 18-23, 2019. Survey findings are considered accurate within +/- 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.
Key findings of the 2019 survey include:
- Topline public trust figures for courts and other institutions are lower than last year, but numbers for many of the attributes underpinning public trust remain solid.
- Voters are more concerned about the opioid epidemic than in an earlier survey, and courts can draw on effective messages to advocate for greater federal funding to combat it.
- The public, and especially younger Americans, are heavily dependent on online news and social media as sources of information.
- Those who are older, and who have higher levels of education, are particularly concerned about disinformation campaigns that target the justice system. Winning this battle will require finely-tuned messaging.
For more detail on the survey findings, read this summary from GBAO Strategies, or download the presentation slides. Interested in a presentation on these survey findings? Contact Jesse Rutledge.