APGOV 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.