The Supreme Court, reshaped by President Donald Trump’s appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, has experienced a marked shift toward conservative rulings, particularly affecting civil rights, religious liberties, and voting laws. An analysis of court decisions from 2020 to 2024 reveals that this conservative majority is the first since at least the 1950s to reject the majority of civil rights claims brought by women and minorities, signaling a significant departure from the trend of expanding such protections that has prevailed since the civil rights era.

Over the five terms examined, the court has also demonstrated an increased inclination to uphold religious rights claims, siding in favor of religious freedom arguments in approximately 98 percent of relevant cases—a frequency not seen in the past three-quarters of a century. Additionally, rulings have struck down established policies such as affirmative action in college admissions and weakened key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The court has upheld bans on gender transition treatments for minors and approved religious exemptions that affect LGBTQ+ rights, illustrating the breadth of its conservative reach.

Experts highlight that this ideological realignment coincides with the elimination of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees in 2017, which facilitated the appointment of justices with more pronounced conservative ideologies. The resulting court exhibits a level of polarization unprecedented in decades. Justices appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents now differ in their voting patterns by a margin of 48 percentage points, up significantly from earlier eras such as the Roberts court and even the Warren Court period, which was noted for its progressive jurisprudence.

This growing divide has led scholars to describe the Court as lacking a centrist bloc, with ideological identity and partisan alignment increasingly intertwined. Political science experts emphasize that the polarization seen in broader society and government institutions is reflected and amplified within the Court itself. This has contributed to a perception of heightened partisanship, with liberal justices and Democratic leaders criticizing the court for its political biases and its frequent role in ruling on executive actions tied to the Trump administration.

Public confidence in the Supreme Court has declined amid these developments, with recent polling indicating more Americans express disapproval than approval of the institution’s performance. Observers suggest that unless there are fundamental changes in political alignments or the appointment process, the Court’s conservative trajectory and ideological sorting are likely to continue. The current term is expected to further limit voting protections and expand religious freedoms within public life, reinforcing the Court’s significant conservative impact since 2020.