Just 20% of Americans believe that the addition of Samuel Alito will significantly change the Supreme Court. A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 35% believe the Court will change a little while 32% believe it will stay pretty much the same.

Alito is expected to be confirmed to serve on the Court later today (Tuesday).

Overall, 41% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Supreme Court and 33% have an unfavorable opinion. These figures are little changed since last October, but a modest improvement from last summer.

Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Americans view the Court as too liberal, 30% say it is too conservative, and 31% say the ideological balance is about right. An earlier survey found that 46% of Americans believe the Supreme Court is too hostile to religion.

These results help explain the dynamics of the failed filibuster mounted in opposition to the Alito nomination. Self-identified liberals in the survey have, on balance, an unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court and overwhelmingly believe it is too conservative. They are also more likely than other voters to believe Alito will significantly change the Court.

While these views drove the desire to push for a filibuster among activists on the left, the broad public perception that Alito will not significantly change Court insured its failure. That is especially true given the overall perception that the Court is reasonably balanced from an ideological perspective. In every state we polled on the topic during 2006, a majority of voters favored Alito's confirmation.

The Founding Fathers would probably be pleased to note that Americans are evenly divided as to which branch of government they trust the most. Twenty-seven percent (27%) trust the President and the Executive Branch; 26% prefer Congress; and, 25% the Supreme Court. Additionally, 22% are not sure or have no preference.

Conservatives have the highest level of trust in the President. A plurality of moderates prefer the Supreme Court and a plurality (41%) of liberals find Congress most trustworthy.

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