Variable Name | Spaeth Name | Normalizations |
---|---|---|
lcDispositionDirection | LCTDIR | 3 [ view ] |
This variable specifies whether the decision of the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed was itself liberal or conservative as these terms are defined in the direction of decision variable (decisionDirection).
lcDispositionDirection permits determination of whether the Supreme Court’s disposition of the case upheld or overturned a liberal or a conservative lower court decision.
With some adjustments, we coded this variable according to the following rules:
- If issue has a private law entry (140010-140080) and the direction of the Court’s decision (decisionDirection) is unspecifiable, then the lower court’s direction is unspecifiable.
- If issue has an interstate relations (110010-110030) or miscellaneous (130010, 130020) entry and decisionDirection is unspecifiable, then the lower court’s direction is unspecifiable.
- If jurisdiction is original or certification, then the lower court’s direction is unspecifiable.
- If the Supreme Court affirmed or dismissed the case, then the lower court’s direction is the same as the Supreme Court’s direction.
- If the Supreme Court reversed, reversed and remanded, vacated and remanded, or remanded, then the lower court’s direction is the opposite and not the same as the Supreme Court’s direction. For example, if the Supreme Court reversed and its decision is liberal then the lower court’s direction is conservative.
Cases remaining after imposing these rules were hand coded.
Also see disposition of case by the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed (lcDisposition), direction of decision (decisionDirection), disposition of case (caseDisposition), and winning party (partyWinning).
Values:
1 | conservative |
2 | liberal |
3 | unspecifiable |