Public perception of Brazil’s Supreme Court improves in 2023

Brazil’s Supreme Court saw a drastic drop in negative ratings and strengthened its image as a defender of democracy.

According to a recent survey by PowerData, the negative assessment of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) has decreased by 9 percentage points during the first six months of President Lula’s administration.

The rating is now at its lowest point since 2021, when the judiciary began taking a stronger stance against the Bolsonaro government.

In December 2022, 40% of voters viewed the Court’s performance as “bad” or “terrible,” whereas now it stands at 31%.

Positive evaluations of the Court have increased to 25%, marking the first time since June 2021 that the difference between positive and negative ratings has been so narrow.

In March 2022, at the beginning of the election year, the gap reached 23 points.

Additionally, 28% of voters perceive the Court’s performance as “regular,” and 16% responded that they don’t know.

The survey was conducted by PoderData, a company within the Poder360 Jornalismo group, using its own resources.

Data was collected through phone interviews from June 25 to 27, 2023, with 2,500 participants across 262 cities in all 27 states of Brazil.

The margin of error is 2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95%.

Regarding the voters’ preferences in the 2022 election, 33% of those who voted for former President Jair Bolsonaro view the STF’s work as “bad” or “terrible.”

In the same group, 20% considered it “excellent” or “good,” and 26% deemed it “regular.”

Among the voters for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, opinions are divided, with 28% perceiving the Court’s performance as “bad” or “terrible,” 28% as “regular,” and 30% as “excellent” or “good.”

The improved public perception of the Supreme Court is significant due to its tumultuous relationship with former President Bolsonaro.

The Court’s negative ratings reached their peak in September 2022 at 46%, influenced by the escalating rhetoric of the then-president.

However, since January 8, the Court has taken action against those who targeted it. President Lula’s return to office provided the Court with a sense of responsibility to “save democracy.”

Notable decisions and actions have contributed to the Court’s positive perception.

Despite criticisms, the survey indicates a decrease in negative assessments, suggesting that the Court has achieved its goal of being seen as the defender of democracy.

With information from Poder360