Is the Supreme Court responsive to public opinion?

There is no good empirical evidence that the Supreme Court or individual justices respond to public policy preferences. The Constitution creates strong protections for judicial independence from public pressure. The appointment process, tenure during good behavior, and salary protection all insulate the judiciary from the public. Empirical analysis of case outcomes and long-term time trends reveal no evidence of a statistically significant relationship between public opinion and Court outputs. Judicial independence effectively separates the Court from the American people.