Those 5-to-4 decisions on the Supreme Court? 9 to 0 is far more common.

[gamewell45]

There is a common conception that SCOTUS votes are usually 5-4 when it comes to deciding a case or at least that's always what I have been led to believe. I found an article that dispels this myth. Believe it or not its more typical that the court votes 9-0 on many cases brought before them then one would think. Anyhow I wanted to share it with the forum for possible discussion.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/06/28/those-5-4-decisions-on-the-supreme-court-9-0-is-far-more-common/?utm_term=.127995985b28

[Hoosier8]

The 5-4 decisions get airtime for partisan reasons.

[Tahuyaman]

Those 5-to-4 decisions on the Supreme Court? 9 to 0 is far more common.
They are the least common, but the issues dealt with in those decisions are generally the most controversial.

[gamewell45]

Those 5-to-4 decisions on the Supreme Court? 9 to 0 is far more common.


They are the least common, but the issues dealt with in those decisions are generally the most controversial.

I believe you are right.

[Chris]

Those 5-to-4 decisions on the Supreme Court? 9 to 0 is far more common.
They are the least common, but the issues dealt with in those decisions are generally the most controversial.

Yes, the one's the nation is closely divided on and make the news.

[Standing Wolf]

The 5-4 decisions reinforce the fringe belief that judges always rule or vote according to their partisan beliefs, which serves to rile up the base(s).

When one goes to the trouble of reading the actual decision and giving it some serious, non-partisan thought, it usually becomes clear why the decision went the way it did. There are exceptions to that, of course, but they tend to be rare.

[Chris]

Can't read WaPo without paying but found this: What Percentage of US Supreme Court Cases are Decided 5-4, and Which Justices Vote Together Most Often? A Review of Historical and the 2017-2018 Term Data (https://yiqinfu.github.io/posts/supreme-court-kennedy-retirement-ot2017/)

https://i.snag.gy/jFfscn.jpg

[gamewell45]

Very cool graph!