Supreme Court Justices' Voting Patterns

Elizabeth Guo, a Harvard junior, presents her project analyzing the demographics and voting patterns of U.S. Supreme Court justices. The project aims to determine if justices vote predictably based on their demographic and political backgrounds. Using two data sets, she examines trends from 1789 to 2018 and employs logistic regression models to predict voting directions. The results show that justices do not consistently vote along party lines, challenging the notion of them being 'politicians in robes.' The project concludes with suggestions for future research, including the impact of high-profile cases and recent changes in the court's composition.

What is the primary focus of Elizabeth Guo's project?

• Studying the voting patterns of Supreme Court justices

• Investigating the educational background of justices

• Exploring the history of the U.S. Supreme Court

• Analyzing the economic impact of Supreme Court decisions

What role does the U.S. Supreme Court play in the government?

• Legislating new laws

• Conducting foreign policy

• Enforcing federal laws

• Exercising judicial review and interpreting the Constitution

Which data sets were used in Elizabeth's project?

• Economic and social data

• Educational and professional backgrounds

• Historical and cultural data

• Demographic and political information of nominees and justices' votes

What trend was observed in the religious background of justices over time?

• A consistent number of Episcopalian justices

• A decrease in Protestant justices

• An increase in Jewish and Roman Catholic justices

• A rise in non-religious justices

How did the economic background of justices change over the last 50 years?

• A decrease in middle class justices

• An increase in justices from middle class backgrounds

• No change in economic backgrounds

• More justices from lower class backgrounds

Which model was the most accurate in predicting justices' voting directions?

• Model 4: Combination of all factors

• Model 1: Demographic factors

• Model 2: Political party affiliation

• Model 3: Nominating president's party

What was the accuracy of Model 2 in predicting voting directions?

• 60%

• 52%

• 56%

• 57%

What conclusion did Elizabeth reach about justices being 'politicians in robes'?

• Justices strictly follow party lines

• Justices are influenced by public opinion

• Justices always vote conservatively

• Justices are unpredictable in their voting patterns

What future research does Elizabeth suggest?

• Investigating the role of international law

• Studying the educational background of justices

• Re-examining the analysis with new data

• Analyzing the impact of media on justices

What potential factor might explain the unpredictability of justices' voting patterns?

• The influence of international law

• The high profile nature of certain cases

• The educational background of justices

• The media coverage of the Supreme Court