![]() ![]() This also led to a Roberts Court record in terms of the number of alignments in these 5-4 decisions. By contrast, in the 2018 term only 50 percent of the ideologically split 5-4 decisions had the more conservative justices in the majority, with the majority in the other half comprised of the four more liberal justices and one conservative justice. In 2017, all the votes in 5-4 cases that split the justices ideologically went in the conservatives’ favor. Interestingly, at the statistical level the court took a step back from the domination of conservative justices in 5-4 decisions that we saw during the 2017 term. Although Kennedy’s retirement was sure to change the composition of these majority coalitions, it was unclear to what extent this would insulate the court’s five more conservative justices in close cases. ![]() In the past, Justice Anthony Kennedy played the role of swing justice, but after he retired at the end of last term, many were unsure who, if anyone, would inherit this role. Some of the most interesting facets of the justices’ work this term relate to the Supreme Court’s closest decisions in 5-4 and 5-3 splits (referred to here as 5-4 decisions), in which a single vote could change the coalition in the majority. It also highlights some differences that we saw this term and tracks these trends across the Roberts Court’s 14 terms so far. ![]() This post tracks some of the Stat Pack’s measures back to 2005 to compare the justices’ work over the years. The 2018 Term Stat Pack examines the details of the 67 cases the court decided after oral argument as well as the five summary reversals, for a total of 72 decisions this term. Every year, the SCOTUSblog Stat Pack provides readers with an unparalleled look at the business of the Supreme Court across all the merits cases it hears during a term. ![]()
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