Anthony M. Kennedy
Served since 1988 (this copy of the data runs through the 2014 term). Voted with the majority in 81% of divided cases, and in 76% of 514 decisions decided by one vote. On the shared window the rate is 82% of 167, the highest share of 11 justices in that comparison. 41% of his coded votes were liberal. The Court rate over the same terms is 48%.
Ideology over time
Martin-Quinn score by term against the Court median. Negative is liberal. Scores are relative to the docket. Intervals are not in this file. A single term is noisy.
Table
| series | term | martin_quinn |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy | 1987 | 1.150 |
| Kennedy | 1988 | 1.421 |
| Kennedy | 1989 | 1.321 |
| Kennedy | 1990 | 1.123 |
| Kennedy | 1991 | 0.764 |
| Kennedy | 1992 | 0.906 |
| Kennedy | 1993 | 0.742 |
| Kennedy | 1994 | 0.688 |
| Kennedy | 1995 | 0.573 |
| Kennedy | 1996 | 0.692 |
| Kennedy | 1997 | 0.636 |
| Kennedy | 1998 | 0.737 |
| Kennedy | 1999 | 0.946 |
| Kennedy | 2000 | 0.890 |
| Kennedy | 2001 | 0.990 |
| Kennedy | 2002 | 0.837 |
| Kennedy | 2003 | 0.730 |
| Kennedy | 2004 | 0.514 |
| Kennedy | 2005 | 0.417 |
| Kennedy | 2006 | 0.413 |
| Kennedy | 2007 | 0.317 |
| Kennedy | 2008 | 0.565 |
| Kennedy | 2009 | 0.572 |
| Kennedy | 2010 | 0.679 |
| Kennedy | 2011 | 0.436 |
| Kennedy | 2012 | 0.467 |
| Kennedy | 2013 | 0.465 |
| Kennedy | 2014 | 0.470 |
| Kennedy | 2017 | 0.426 |
| Court median | 1987 | 0.955 |
| Court median | 1988 | 1.030 |
| Court median | 1989 | 0.795 |
| Court median | 1990 | 0.963 |
| Court median | 1991 | 0.576 |
| Court median | 1992 | 0.704 |
| Court median | 1993 | 0.742 |
| Court median | 1994 | 0.663 |
| Court median | 1995 | 0.573 |
| Court median | 1996 | 0.692 |
| Court median | 1997 | 0.636 |
| Court median | 1998 | 0.737 |
| Court median | 1999 | 0.724 |
| Court median | 2000 | 0.480 |
| Court median | 2001 | 0.302 |
| Court median | 2002 | 0.220 |
| Court median | 2003 | 0.169 |
| Court median | 2004 | 0.076 |
| Court median | 2005 | 0.189 |
| Court median | 2006 | 0.413 |
| Court median | 2007 | 0.317 |
| Court median | 2008 | 0.565 |
| Court median | 2009 | 0.572 |
| Court median | 2010 | 0.679 |
| Court median | 2011 | 0.436 |
| Court median | 2012 | -0.373 |
| Court median | 2013 | 0.465 |
| Court median | 2014 | 0.470 |
| Court median | 2017 | -0.590 |
Where he came down, by issue
Share of votes coded liberal, this justice against the Court during the same service, by issue area. Cells under 25 votes are omitted. Direction before 1946 is not shown.
Table
| issue | justice_liberal | court_liberal | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Taxation | 0.797 | 0.712 | 59 |
| Federalism | 0.544 | 0.559 | 147 |
| Due Process | 0.467 | 0.539 | 90 |
| First Amendment | 0.450 | 0.502 | 160 |
| Economic Activity | 0.446 | 0.504 | 466 |
| Judicial Power | 0.411 | 0.439 | 353 |
| Civil Rights | 0.398 | 0.488 | 412 |
| Unions | 0.361 | 0.452 | 61 |
| Criminal Procedure | 0.330 | 0.432 | 675 |
| Privacy | 0.255 | 0.393 | 55 |
Agreement with colleagues
Share of divided cases in which the colleague voted the same way, 1987 to 2014. Pairs under 100 shared cases are hidden. The comparison is the colleagues on the Courts Kennedy sat on.
Table
| colleague | agreement | n |
|---|---|---|
| Rehnquist | 0.784 | 959 |
| O'Connor | 0.738 | 961 |
| Roberts | 0.723 | 422 |
| White | 0.704 | 379 |
| Alito | 0.698 | 410 |
| Scalia | 0.695 | 1393 |
| Thomas | 0.637 | 1138 |
| Souter | 0.592 | 960 |
| Kagan | 0.567 | 180 |
| Breyer | 0.555 | 949 |
| Sotomayor | 0.545 | 242 |
| Ginsburg | 0.525 | 1014 |
| Blackmun | 0.441 | 433 |
| Stevens | 0.402 | 1193 |
| Brennan | 0.291 | 175 |
| Marshall | 0.261 | 245 |
Opinions written, by term
Majority opinions in black, concurrences in navy, dissents in the pale navy. Counts are for this justice's service in the first-run file.
Table
| term | majority | concurrence | dissent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 1988 | 15 | 10 | 4 |
| 1989 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| 1990 | 13 | 6 | 9 |
| 1991 | 10 | 12 | 4 |
| 1992 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| 1993 | 10 | 10 | 1 |
| 1994 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 1995 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 1996 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 1997 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
| 1998 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 1999 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 2000 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| 2001 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 2002 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 2003 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| 2004 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 2005 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| 2006 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 2007 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| 2008 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 2009 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| 2010 | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 2013 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
At oral argument stage 3
Words per argument, questions to each side, interruptions given and received, and whether the side questioned more went on to lose. Formats are never pooled.
Source: Oyez speaker turns
Writing style stage 2
Words per opinion, reading grade, citations per thousand words, and the share of case versus statutory citations.
Source: CourtListener opinion text
Reasoning profile stage 6
Which reasoning techniques appear, against the Court average over the same terms. Validation accuracy prints beside the chart.
Source: Taxonomy classifier over opinion text
IIHe came to the Court from thirteen years on the Ninth Circuit
President Gerald Ford appointed him to the Ninth Circuit in 1975. The Senate confirmed him to the Supreme Court 97 to 0 on Feb. 3, 1988. His pre-appointment opinions, reversal record and panel agreement load in stage 8 from CourtListener, labeled by coverage.