(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in the United States think their country’s legal system tends to provide unfair advantages to minorities, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 37 per cent of respondents share this view, while 34 per cent think the system treats all Americans equally, and 18 per cent say it tends to discriminate against minorities.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in the United States think their country’s legal system tends to provide unfair advantages to minorities, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 37 per cent of respondents share this view, while 34 per cent think the system treats all Americans equally, and 18 per cent say it tends to discriminate against minorities.
In the U.S., Supreme Court justices are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by a majority vote in the Senate. On May 26, U.S. president Barack Obama officially nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
The confirmation hearings for Sotomayor— a Hispanic American of Puerto-Rican descent—are scheduled to begin on Jul. 13. If confirmed, she would become the first Hispanic to serve in the nine-member court.
On Jun. 9, Democratic Vermont senator Patrick Leahy—the chairman of the Judiciary Committee—celebrated that Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing will begin soon, saying, "There is no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee. Indeed, given the attacks on her character, there are compelling reasons to proceed even ahead of this schedule. She deserves the earliest opportunity to respond to those attacks." Leahy was referring to critics who have suggested that Sotomayor would favour minorities through biased rulings in the Supreme Court.
Polling Data
In the United States today, does our legal system generally provide unfair advantages to minorities, generally discriminate against minorities, or does it generally treat all Americans equally?
|
Provides unfair advantages to minorities |
37% |
|
Generally discriminates against minorities |
18% |
|
Generally treats all Americans equally |
34% |
|
Not sure |
11% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted on Jun. 3 and Jun. 4, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
