Two in Three Americans Can't Name a Supreme Court Justice
Kymberly BaysPublished: 20 Aug, 2012
1 min read
A new national survey by FindLaw.com found an overwhelming majority of Americans fail when asked to name even one Supreme Court Justice. This despite a busy few years of high-profile cases like health care reform and Citizens United thrusting the country's highest court into the spotlight.
According to the findings, only 1% of Americans can name all nine Justices.
Chief Justice John Roberts is the most frequently named Supreme Court justice.
The percentage of Americans who can name any U.S. Supreme Court justice are:
- John Roberts – 20%
- Antonin Scalia – 16%
- Clarence Thomas – 16%
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg – 13%
- Sonia Sotomayor – 13%
- Anthony Kennedy – 10%
- Samuel Alito – 5%
- Elena Kagan – 4%
- Stephen Breyer – 3%
You Might Also Like
Why We Call Ourselves Independent Voter News
For 15 years, we have published more than 14,000 articles written by people from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and different political backgrounds....
01 Apr, 2026
-
2 min read
New IVP 2026 California Governor Poll: What the Toplines Don’t Tell You
Using verified California voter file data, IVP surveyed high-propensity voters from February 13 through 20. The poll tested first-choice ballot preferences alongside issue intensity on affordability and the cost of living, immigration enforcement, more choice reform, and more....
23 Feb, 2026
-
10 min read
81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?
Polls consistently show that nearly all Americans across the political spectrum agree that there is too much money in politics – whether from foreign sources, corporations, or so-called “dark money” groups. ...
23 Feb, 2026
-
13 min read