If confirmed by the Senate, Sonia Sotomayor would join a Supreme Court that has seen its popularity rise among Democrats in the last year. According to a Gallup poll released this week, 7 in 10 Democratic respondents approve of the job the high court is doing, compared to 49 percent of Republican respondents.

Rewind to last fall, however, and those numbers were nearly reversed, suggesting that the partisan popularity of the court rises and falls depending on which party is in power. Last September, in the waning months of the Bush administration, 65 percent of Republicans approved, versus just 38 percent of Democrats. Gallup's trend data showed a similar fluctuation from the last months of President Clinton's administration to George W. Bush's first month.

Gallup noted the phenomenon and the role that major events sometimes play in party perception, but added that the new ratings may indicate "a more positive view of government in general" and the view that "none of the Supreme Court's rulings thus far in the 2008-2009 term has been particularly controversial." Independents' approval scored at 57 percent in the new poll, compared to 47 percent in September.

The poll surveyed 1,011 adults nationwide June 14-17 and has a 3-point margin of error.