How the Justices' views have evolved
Twelve issues the Court returns to again and again. For each, see how every sitting Justice has voted across their tenure, whether anyone has measurably moved, and how they voted in the landmark cases. Built from the Supreme Court Database's coding of every vote since 1946.
Abortion and contraception.
49 cases
Second Amendment cases and federal firearms statutes.
35 cases
Establishment Clause, free exercise, and aid to religious schools.
117 cases
Desegregation, affirmative action and race discrimination outside employment.
200 cases
Voting rights, the Voting Rights Act, ballot access, redistricting and campaign finance.
249 cases
Presidential power, the separation of powers, and judicial review of agency action.
229 cases
Searches and seizures, confessions and Miranda, self-incrimination, right to counsel and jury trial.
890 cases · Shifts — possible: Thomas more conservative; possible: Jr. more conservative
Capital punishment and the Eighth Amendment.
142 cases
First Amendment speech, press, protest, commercial speech, defamation and obscenity.
466 cases
Deportation, naturalization and citizenship, and immigration crimes.
195 cases
National supremacy, state sovereignty and the balance between federal and state power.
419 cases · Shifts — possible: Sotomayor more liberal
SCDB has no dedicated code; these cases are hand-picked.
12 cases
first vs second half of tenure, relative lean, permutation test; shift if Benjamini-Hochberg q < 0.1 across all tests; >= 12 votes in each half, >= 6 terms.