The Supreme Court Compendium provides historical and statistical information on the Supreme Court: its institutional development; caseload; decision trends; the background, nomination, and voting behavior of its justices; its relationship with public, governmental, and other judicial bodies; and its impact.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• About the Authors
• Introduction
• 1 The Supreme Court: An Institutional Perspective
• Table 1-1 Chronology of Important Events in the Supreme Court's History, 1787–2014
• Table 1-2 Chronology of Important Events in the Supreme Court's History Pertaining to Women, 1787–2014
• Table 1-3 Chronology of Important Events in the Supreme Court's History Pertaining to Minorities, 1787–2014
• Table 1-4 Brief Overview of the Supreme Court, 2015
• Table 1-5 Select Congressional Legislation Relating to the Supreme Court
• Table 1-6 Sections of the United States Code Pertaining to the Organization of the Supreme Court
• Table 1-7 Sections of the United States Code Pertaining to the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
• Table 1-8 Selected Internet Sites Relating to the Supreme Court
• Table 1-9 Supreme Court Budget Appropriations, 1930–2015
• Table 1-10 Supreme Court Budget, Fiscal Years 2013–2015
• Table 1-11 Salaries of the Justices, 1789–2014
• Table 1-12 Retirement and Pension Provisions for the Supreme Court Justices
• Table 1-13 Outline of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States
• Figure 1-1 The Processing of Supreme Court Cases
• Table 1-14 The Supreme Court's Calendar
• Table 1-15 Sections of the United States Code Pertaining to Supreme Court Officers and Employees
• Table 1-16 Supreme Court Employees: Full-time Permanent Positions, 1930–2015
• Table 1-17 Administrative Officers of the Supreme Court, 1790–2015
• 2 The Supreme Court's Review Process, Caseload, and Cases
• Table 2-1 Supreme Court Rule 10: Considerations Governing Review on Certiorari
• Table 2-2 The Supreme Court's Caseload, 1880–2013 Terms
• Table 2-3 Cases on the Dockets of the Supreme Court, 1935–1969 Terms
• Table 2-4 Cases on the Dockets of the Supreme Court, 1970–2013 Terms
• Table 2-5 Petitions Granted Review, 1926–1969 Terms
• Table 2-6 Petitions Granted Review, 1970–2013 Terms
• Table 2-7 Guide to Oral Argument at the Supreme Court
• Table 2-8 Signed Opinions, Cases Disposed of by Signed Opinion, and Cases Disposed of by Per Curiam Opinion, 1926–2013 Terms
• Table 2-9 Reporting Systems
• Table 2-10 Where to Obtain Supreme Court Opinions
• Table 2-11 Formally Decided Cases by Issue Area, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 2-12 Major Decisions of the Supreme Court: Congressional Quarterly, 1790–2009 Terms
• Table 2-13 Major Decisions of the Supreme Court: New York Times Measure, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 2-14 Cases Incorporating Provisions of the Bill of Rights into the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
• Table 2-15 Supreme Court Decisions Holding Acts of Congress Unconstitutional in Whole or in Part, 1789–2013 Terms
• Table 2-16 Supreme Court Decisions Holding State Constitutional and Statutory Provisions and Municipal Ordinances Unconstitutional on Their Face or as Administered and State and Local Laws Held Preempted by Federal Law, 1789–2013 Terms
• Table 2-17 Supreme Court Decisions Overruled by Subsequent Decisions, 1789–2013 Terms
• 3 The Supreme Court's Opinion, Decision, and Outcome Trends
• Table 3-1 Unanimous Decisions, 1900–2013 Terms
• Table 3-2 Dissenting Opinions, 1801–2013 Terms
• Table 3-3 Concurring Opinions, 1801–2013 Terms
• Table 3-4 Length of Opinions, 1953–2009 Terms
• Table 3-5 Cases Decided by a 5–4 or 4–3 Vote, 1801–2013 Terms
• Table 3-6 Cases Decided by a Judgment of the Court, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-7 Disposition of Cases, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-8 Direction of Court Decisions, by Issue Area and Chief Justice, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-9 Direction of Court Decisions (Percentage Liberal), by Issue Area, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-10 Means and Medians in Civil Liberties Cases, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-11 Means and Medians in Criminal Cases, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-12 Means and Medians in Economic Liberties Cases, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 3-13 Means and Medians of Segal–Cover Scores, 1946–2014 Terms
• Table 3-14 Martin and Quinn's Estimated Locations of the Most Liberal, Median, and Most Conservative Ideal Points, 1937–2012 Terms
• 4 The Justices: Backgrounds, Nominations, and Confirmations
• Table 4-1 The Justices of the United States Supreme Court
• Table 4-2 Birth and Childhood Statistics for the Justices
• Table 4-3 Family Background of the Justices
• Table 4-4 Education and Legal Training of the Justices
• Table 4-5 Marriages and Children of the Justices
• Table 4-6 Private Practice and Law Professorships of the Justices
• Table 4-7 Military Experience of the Justices
• Table 4-8 Political Experience of the Justices
• Table 4-9 Prior Judicial Experience of the Justices
• Table 4-10 Summary of Background Characteristics of the Justices
• Table 4-11 Personal Finances of the Justices, 2012
• Table 4-12 Supreme Court Nominees
• Table 4-13 Supreme Court Nominees and the Vacancies to Be Filled
• Table 4-14 Senate Judiciary Committee Action on Supreme Court Nominees
• Table 4-15 Senate Action on Supreme Court Nominees
• Table 4-16 American Bar Association Rating of Supreme Court Nominees since 1956
• Table 4-17 Confirmation Factors, 1937–2010
• Table 4-18 Respondents Supporting or Opposing Nominees for the Supreme Court
• Table 4-19 Respondents' Impressions of the Withdrawal of Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers (Percentage)
• Table 4-20 Appointment Anomalies
• 5 The Justices: Post-Confirmation Activities and Departures from the Court
• Table 5-1 Length of Service (Ranked)
• Table 5-2 Natural Courts
• Table 5-3 Circuit Justice Assignments, 1802–1867
• Table 5-4 Circuit Justice Assignments, 1867–2015
• Table 5-5 Extrajudicial Activities while Sitting on the Court
• Table 5-6 Impeachment Actions against Supreme Court Justices
• Table 5-7 Departure from the Court
• Table 5-8 Justices Rated “Great,” Selected Studies
• Table 5-9 Post-Court Activities
• Table 5-10 The Deaths of the Justices
• Table 5-11 Locations of Justices' Personal Papers
• Table 5-12 Selected Books and Articles Written by the Justices
• Table 5-13 Classic Statements from the Bench
• Table 5-14 Published Biographies of the Justices
• 6 The Justices: Oral Arguments, Votes, and Opinions
• Table 6-1 Ideological Values of the Justices, 1937–2015
• Table 6-2 Martin-Quinn Estimates of the Justices' Ideology and the Median Justice, 1937–2013 Terms
• Table 6-3 Number of Questions Asked by the Individual Justices during Oral Argument, 2005–2009 Terms
• Table 6-4 Aggregate Liberal Voting of Justices, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-5 Liberal Voting of the Justices, by Term, 1946–2013
• Table 6-6 Voting Interagreements among the Justices, by Issue Area, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-7 Votes in Support of and Opposition to Decisions Declaring Legislation Unconstitutional, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-8 Votes in Support of and Opposition to Decisions Formally Altering Precedent, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-9 Opinions of the Court, Dissenting Opinions, and Concurring Opinions, 1790–2013 Terms
• Table 6-10 Votes of the Justices, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-11 Number of Solo Dissents, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 6-12 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1946–1952 Terms
• Table 6-13 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1953–1960 Terms
• Table 6-14 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1961–1968 Terms
• Table 6-15 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1969–1977 Terms
• Table 6-16 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1978–1985 Terms
• Table 6-17 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 1986–2004 Terms
• Table 6-18 Assignment and Authorship of Majority Opinion, 2005–2013 Terms
• 7 The Supreme Court: Its Political and Legal Environments
• Table 7-1 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Overturning Supreme Court Decisions
• Table 7-2 Cases in Which Members of Congress Filed Amicus Curiae Briefs, 1912–1998
• Table 7-3 Most Litigated Laws, Vinson through Roberts Courts, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-4 Most Litigated Constitutional Provisions, Vinson through Roberts Courts, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-5 Chairs of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
• Table 7-6 Chairs of the House Committee on the Judiciary
• Table 7-7 Impeachment of Federal Judges and Justices
• Figure 7-1 Organizational Chart of the Department of Justice
• Table 7-8 Attorneys General of the United States
• Figure 7-2 Organizational Chart of the Office of the Solicitor General
• Table 7-9 Solicitors General of the United States
• Table 7-10 Success Rate of the United States as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-11 Success Rate of the United States as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, by Issue Area and Chief Justice, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-12 Position Taken by the Solicitor General as an Amicus Curiae in Cases before the Supreme Court, 1946–2011 Terms
• Table 7-13 Success Rate of the Solicitor General as an Amicus Curiae in Cases before the Supreme Court, 1946–2011 Terms
• Table 7-14 Success Rate of Federal Agencies as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-15 Success Rate of Federal Agencies as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, by Issue Area, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-16 Success Rate of Federal Agencies as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, by Agency, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-17 Supreme Court Rulings against Presidents, Washington to Obama
• Table 7-18 Success Rate of States as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-19 Success Rate of States as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, by Issue Area and Chief Justice, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-20 Success Rates of States as a Party to a Case before the Supreme Court, by State, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-21 Supreme Court Rule 37: Brief for Amicus Curiae
• Table 7-22 Supreme Court Cases Containing at Least One Amicus Curiae Brief, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-23 Justices' Citations to Amicus Curiae Briefs, 1953–2004 Terms
• Figure 7-3 The American Court System
• Figure 7-4 The Federal Court System: United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts
• Table 7-24 The Development of the Federal Courts of Appeals
• Table 7-25 U.S. Court of Appeals Decisions Reversed by the Supreme Court, 1946–2013 Terms
• Table 7-26 U.S. District Court Decisions Reversed by the Vinson, Warren, Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts Courts, 1946–2013
• Table 7-27 Article I Special Jurisdiction Courts
• Table 7-28 Article III Special Jurisdiction Courts
• Table 7-29 Specialized Court Decisions Reversed by the Vinson, Warren, Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts Courts, 1946–2013
• Table 7-30 State and Territorial Court Decisions Reversed by the Vinson, Warren, Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts Courts, 1946–2013 Terms
• 8 The Supreme Court and Public Opinion
• Table 8-1 Respondents Allowing Atheists to Perform Specified Activity (Percentage)
• Table 8-2 Respondents Allowing Racists to Perform Specified Activity (Percentage)
• Table 8-3 Respondents Allowing Homosexuals to Perform Specified Activity (Percentage)
• Table 8-4 Respondents Allowing Communists to Perform Specified Activity (Percentage)
• Table 8-5 Respondents Allowing Militarists to Perform Specified Activity (Percentage)
• Table 8-6 Respondents Favoring Capital Punishment, Various Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-7 Respondents Believing Courts Not Harsh Enough with Criminals
• Table 8-8 Respondents on Wiretapping Issues (Percentage)
• Table 8-9 Respondents Approving of Brown v. Board of Education
• Table 8-10 Respondents Disapproving of Racial Intermarriage and Approving of Segregated Neighborhoods (Percentage)
• Table 8-11 Respondents Approving of Busing, Various Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-12 Respondents Favoring Racial Preferences in Hiring or Promotion Where There Has Been Past Discrimination
• Table 8-13 Respondents Favoring Affirmative Action
• Table 8-14 Respondents Believing a Woman's Job Is to Take Care of the Home
• Table 8-15 Respondents Believing Past Job Discrimination against Women Should Result in Hiring Preferences Today
• Table 8-16 Respondents Believing Abortion Should Be Legal, Select Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-17 Respondents Believing Information on Birth Control Should Be Legally Available, Select Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-18 Respondents Believing Birth Control Should Be Available to Minors (Percentage)
• Table 8-19 Respondents Supporting Legal Abortion under Special Circumstances (Percentage)
• Table 8-20 Respondents Supporting Roe v. Wade, Select Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-21 Respondents Believing Homosexual Behavior Is Wrong
• Table 8-22 Respondents Believing Homosexuals Should Have Equal Rights in Job Opportunities
• Table 8-23 Respondents Supporting Same-Sex Marriage (Percentage)
• Table 8-24 Respondents Supporting Amendment Banning Same-Sex Marriage (Percentage)
• Table 8-25 Respondents Believing Pornography Leads to a Breakdown in Morals
• Table 8-26 Respondents Approving of Supreme Court Decisions Preventing Organized Prayer or Bible Readings in Schools, Select Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-27 Respondents Supporting an Individual's Right to Die, Various Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-28 Respondents Believing the Supreme Court Is Too Liberal or Too Conservative (Percentage)
• Table 8-29 Respondents Having a Great Deal or Quite a Lot of Confidence in the Supreme Court, Various Polls (Percentage)
• Table 8-30 Public Reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt's Plan to Enlarge the Supreme Court (Percentage)
• Table 8-31 Members of State, District, and Territorial Bars Favoring Franklin D. Roosevelt's Plan to Enlarge the Supreme Court (1937)
• Table 8-32 Respondents Believing That the Supreme Court's Decision in Bush v. Gore Mainly Reflected the Political Views or Partisan Politics of the Justices (Percentage)
• Table 8-33 Respondents Approving of or Agreeing with the Supreme Court's Decision in Bush v. Gore (Percentage)
• Table 8-34 Respondents Able to Name Supreme Court Justices (1989) and Chief Justice Rehnquist (1995)
• Table 8-35 Respondents Able to Name the Judge on the Television Show The People's Court (1989)
• Table 8-36 Respondents' Impressions of the Justices (Percentage)
• Table 8-37 Respondents' Impressions of Chief Justice (Percentage)
• Table 8-38 Respondents' Opinion on Gun Control (Percentage)
• 9 The Impact of the Supreme Court
• Table 9-1 Legal Abortions, 1966–2008
• Table 9-2 The Death Penalty in the States: Numbers of Inmates Executed and Awaiting Execution
• Table 9-3 Black Children in Elementary and Secondary Schools with White Children: Southern and Border States, 1954–1973
• Table 9-4 School Desegregation by Region, 1968–2009
• Table 9-5 Percentage of Black Students in Majority White Schools, 1954–2011
• Table 9-6 Law School Enrollment and Graduation, Percentage Minority and Female, 1971–2014
• Table 9-7 Voter Registration Rates in Eleven Southern States, by Race, 1960–2000
• Table 9-8 Reported Registration of the Voting-Age Population, by Race and Hispanic Origin, for Eleven Southern States, November 2010 (in Thousands)
• Table 9-9 Number of Political Action Committees (PACs), by Type, 1974–2013
• Table 9-10 PACs: Receipts, Expenditures, and Contributions, 1975–2012
• Table 9-11 Legislative Districting: Deviations from Equality in Congressional Districts
• Selected Readings