Circuit Court Map

This is a map of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals system. Circuit Court judges are politically appointed, and certain circuits often gain reputations for being liberal or conservative. This map is meant to examine if such reputations are warranted. The map also provides information on how the Supreme Court ruled when hearing cases that passed through each circuit.

The map suggests that districts can be political, and their politics often match the general trends within their territories. The circuit that includes Texas and other southern states is quite conservative, while the circuits that include California and Maine are liberal. The map also shows that the Supreme Court tends to be relatively even in terms of their voting decisions.

The information included in this map originates from the Washington University Supreme Court Database. The database only includes cases from between 1943 and 2010. Furthermore, the map only looks at cases that were eventually heard by the Supreme Court. It does not provide an entirely comprehensive view of circuit behavior.