Analysis of 5–4 U.S. Supreme Court Decisions, 2005–2016 October Terms Term Number of 5-4 Opinions Percentage of Total Opinions Percentage of 5-4 Split for Ideological Reasons Conservative Victory* (Percentage of Ideological-Based 5-4 Split Decisions) Conservative Victory (Percentage of All 5-4 Decision Cases) OT05 11 12% 73% 63% 45% OT06 24 33% 79% 68% 54% OT07 12 17% 67% 50% 33% OT08 23 29% 70% 69% 48% OT09 16 19% 69% 73% 50% OT10 16 20% 88% 71% 63% OT11 15 20% 67% 50% 33% OT12 23 29% 70% 63% 43% OT13 10 14% 60% 67% 40% OT14 19 26% 68% 38% 26% OT15 4 5% 100% 25% 25% OT16 7 10% 86% 33% 29% Average 16 20% 74% 58% 42% Identify the average number of 5-4 opinions for the Supreme Court terms shown in the table. Describe a pattern in the data on opinions from the Supreme Court terms shown in the table. Draw a conclusion based on the pattern in the data on opinions from the Supreme Court terms shown in the table. Explain how Supreme Court decisions can affect presidential appointments.
