{"id":298844,"date":"2026-04-08T13:56:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T17:56:38","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:53:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:53:59","slug":"how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"How often does the Supreme Court overturn its own decisions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img data-dominant-color=\"777d7a\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #777d7a;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?resize=480,270 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?resize=782,440 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?resize=960,540 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?resize=1280,720 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/SR_26.04.08_supreme-court_featured.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"Reporters set up outside the U.S. Supreme Court on April 1. (Al Drago\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-298865 not-transparent\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Reporters set up outside the U.S. Supreme Court on April 1. (Al Drago\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overrule two of its own long-standing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2025\/10\/overturning-precedent-on-the-roberts-court\/\">legal precedents<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 one about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-trumps-power-over-independent-agencies\">presidential power<\/a>&nbsp;over federal agencies, which has been in place for over 90 years, and another about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2025\/12\/08\/supreme-court-to-hear-arguments-on-campaign-finance-limits\/\">campaign financing<\/a>&nbsp;by political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-17d60f91 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:310px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:298844,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/08\\\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/in-the-past-20-supreme-court-terms-about-1-of-cases-have-overruled-an-earlier-decision\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-04-08&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:298924,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/in_the_past_20_supreme_court_terms_about_1_of_cases_have_overruled_an_earlier_decision-298544-1775675466.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;In the past 20 Supreme Court terms, about 1% of cases have overruled an earlier decision&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;% of U.S. Supreme court cases that overturned older rulings in each 20-term period&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;Note: While the Supreme Court was founded in 1789, it didn\\u2019t rule on its first case until 1791, and it didn\\u2019t overrule a prior decision until 1810.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW RESEARCH CENTER&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;Terms&quot;,&quot;All cases&quot;,&quot;Cases that overturned an older ruling&quot;,&quot;% of cases that overturned an older ruling&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;2005-2024&quot;,&quot;1471&quot;,&quot;21&quot;,&quot;1.4%&quot;],[&quot;1985-2004&quot;,&quot;2209&quot;,&quot;44&quot;,&quot;2.0%&quot;],[&quot;1965-1984&quot;,&quot;3269&quot;,&quot;69&quot;,&quot;2.1%&quot;],[&quot;1945-1964&quot;,&quot;2531&quot;,&quot;30&quot;,&quot;1.2%&quot;],[&quot;1925-1944&quot;,&quot;3295&quot;,&quot;36&quot;,&quot;1.1%&quot;],[&quot;1905-1924&quot;,&quot;4370&quot;,&quot;10&quot;,&quot;0.2%&quot;],[&quot;1885-1904&quot;,&quot;4901&quot;,&quot;6&quot;,&quot;0.1%&quot;],[&quot;1865-1884&quot;,&quot;4084&quot;,&quot;13&quot;,&quot;0.3%&quot;],[&quot;1845-1864&quot;,&quot;1426&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;0.2%&quot;],[&quot;1825-1844&quot;,&quot;858&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;0.3%&quot;],[&quot;1805-1824&quot;,&quot;685&quot;,&quot;1&quot;,&quot;0.1%&quot;],[&quot;1791-1804&quot;,&quot;103&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;0.0%&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:false}\" data-wp-init--detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init--sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init--watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init--reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/in_the_past_20_supreme_court_terms_about_1_of_cases_have_overruled_an_earlier_decision-298544-1775675466.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/in-the-past-20-supreme-court-terms-about-1-of-cases-have-overruled-an-earlier-decision\/\" data-chart-title=\"In the past 20 Supreme Court terms, about 1% of cases have overruled an earlier decision\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-inner wp-block-prc-chart-builder-chart\" id=\"chart-block-2\" data-wp-key=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-prc-chart-id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart&quot;}\" data-wp-watch--init-render=\"callbacks.watchForRender\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.watchForResize\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:310px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:310px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">In the past 20 Supreme Court terms, about 1% of cases have overruled an earlier decision<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. Supreme court cases that overturned older rulings in each 20-term period<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/in_the_past_20_supreme_court_terms_about_1_of_cases_have_overruled_an_earlier_decision-298544-1775675466.png\" alt=\"Chart\" class=\"chart-fallback chart-fallback--png\" style=\"width:310px;height:auto;\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: While the Supreme Court was founded in 1789, it didn\u2019t rule on its first case until 1791, and it didn\u2019t overrule a prior decision until 1810.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0; max-width:310px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\" id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-table\" style=\"max-width:310px;\">\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">In the past 20 Supreme Court terms, about 1% of cases have overruled an earlier decision<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. Supreme court cases that overturned older rulings in each 20-term period<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table__inner\" style=\"max-width: 310px !important; margin-bottom: 0; overflow: auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table is-scroll-on-pc is-scroll-on-mobile chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout is-sticky-first-column\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align:left;line-height:1.1\">Terms<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center;line-height:1.1\">All cases<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center;line-height:1.1\">Cases that overturned an older ruling<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center;line-height:1.1\">% of cases that overturned an older ruling<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">2005-2024<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1471<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">21<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">1.4%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1985-2004<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">2209<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">44<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">2.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1965-1984<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">3269<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">69<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">2.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1945-1964<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">2531<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">30<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">1.2%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1925-1944<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">3295<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">36<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">1.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1905-1924<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">4370<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">10<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.2%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1885-1904<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">4901<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">6<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1865-1884<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">4084<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">13<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.3%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1845-1864<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1426<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.2%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1825-1844<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">858<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.3%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1805-1824<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">685<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">1<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">1791-1804<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">103<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.0%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__download-data-button-hr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__download-data-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"has-sans-serif-font-family\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\tDownload data as .csv\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: While the Supreme Court was founded in 1789, it didn\u2019t rule on its first case until 1791, and it didn\u2019t overrule a prior decision until 1810.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:310px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-chart-id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Data<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"c304ff53-e99e-4930-a6ef-27a316225e83\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These cases follow the court\u2019s high-profile decision in June 2022 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/06\/24\/1102305878\/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn\">overturn Roe v. Wade<\/a>, a ruling that had guaranteed the right to an abortion nationwide for nearly five decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the Supreme Court\u2019s founding in 1789 through its most recent full term in 2024, <strong>fewer than 1% of all rulings (236 of 29,202) have overturned an earlier high court decision,<\/strong> according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/resources\/decisions-overruled\/\">Library of Congress<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/scdb.la.psu.edu\/\">Supreme Court Database<\/a> at Pennsylvania State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overturning precedent hasn\u2019t been very common in recent decades, either. Between the 2005 and 2024 terms, only 21 of 1,471 rulings (1.4%) overturned one or more earlier decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Library of Congress to consider a case overturned, a majority of the Supreme Court must have explicitly said so or used language that is \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/appx.1\/ALDE_00000065\/\">functionally equivalent<\/a>.\u201d Also, these figures only account for cases the Supreme Court agreed to hear in the first place; the modern court takes up fewer than 100 cases out of thousands of petitions it receives each term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<details id=\"atr\" class=\"wp-block-details is-style-plus-icon has-border-color has-ui-gray-light-border-color has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-background has-sans-serif-font-family is-layout-flow wp-container-core-details-is-layout-61b01db2 wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-size:clamp(0.875em, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2em) * 0.009), 0.88em);\"><summary>About this research<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Pew Research Center analysis looks at how often the Supreme Court overturns its own rulings and what legal areas those rulings address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"why-did-we-do-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center conducts high-quality research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis is part of our broader work on the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/topic\/politics-policy\/government\/supreme-court\/\">Supreme Court<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/about\/\">Pew Research Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"how-did-we-do-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This analysis primarily uses data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/resources\/decisions-overruled\/\">Library of Congress<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/scdb.la.psu.edu\/\">Supreme Court Database<\/a> at Pennsylvania State University, a resource compiled and updated regularly by <a href=\"https:\/\/scdb.la.psu.edu\/about\/the-contributors\/\">legal scholars<\/a>. The data is up to date through the court\u2019s 2024 term; data for the full 2025 term, which ends in October 2026, is not yet available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this analysis, we analyzed cases across 20-term increments to examine different periods in the Supreme Court\u2019s history. We used this framing because, on average, justices serve around <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2017\/02\/08\/younger-supreme-court-appointees-stay-on-the-bench-longer-but-there-are-plenty-of-exceptions\/\">two decades<\/a> on the high court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Information about Supreme Court rulings that have been overturned, either in part or in full, comes from the Library of Congress. For the Library of Congress to consider a case overturned, a majority of the court must have explicitly said so or used language that is \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/appx.1\/ALDE_00000065\/\">functionally equivalent<\/a>.\u201d The resulting list of overturned cases may be narrower than some others because it is based on these specific, fixed criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Issue areas for each case come from <a href=\"https:\/\/scdb.la.psu.edu\/online-codebook\/issue-area\/\">the Supreme Court Database\u2019s codebook<\/a>. We consolidated its 14 broad issue areas into 12, combining the civil rights and privacy categories because they <a href=\"https:\/\/scdb.la.psu.edu\/online-codebook\/issue\/#:~:text=The%20four%20issues%20comprising%20privacy%20may%20be%20treated%20as%20a%20subset%20of%20civil%20rights.\">concern similar legal questions<\/a>. We also combined private action, miscellaneous and uncategorized cases into an \u201cOther\u201d category because they address a very wide range of legal questions.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"how-long-did-precedents-stand-before-being-overturned\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long did precedents stand before being overturned?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-17d60f91 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:310px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:298844,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/08\\\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/most-supreme-court-rulings-that-were-later-overturned-stood-for-fewer-than-25-years\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-04-08&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:298894,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/most_supreme_court_rulings_that_were_later_overturned_stood_for_fewer_than_25_years-298560-1775670436.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Most Supreme Court rulings that were later overturned stood for fewer than 25 years&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Number of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that were in place for __ before being overturned&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;Note: Duration is calculated using the calendar year of each decision, as opposed to the term year. Some cases have overturned multiple older rulings.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW RESEARCH CENTER&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;Years&quot;,&quot;Cases&quot;,&quot;%&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;Fewer than 25 years&quot;,&quot;167&quot;,&quot;57%&quot;],[&quot;25-49&quot;,&quot;78&quot;,&quot;27%&quot;],[&quot;50-74&quot;,&quot;19&quot;,&quot;7%&quot;],[&quot;75-99&quot;,&quot;18&quot;,&quot;6%&quot;],[&quot;100+&quot;,&quot;10&quot;,&quot;3%&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:false}\" data-wp-init--detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init--sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init--watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init--reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/most_supreme_court_rulings_that_were_later_overturned_stood_for_fewer_than_25_years-298560-1775670436.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/most-supreme-court-rulings-that-were-later-overturned-stood-for-fewer-than-25-years\/\" data-chart-title=\"Most Supreme Court rulings that were later overturned stood for fewer than 25 years\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-inner wp-block-prc-chart-builder-chart\" id=\"chart-block-4\" data-wp-key=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-prc-chart-id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart&quot;}\" data-wp-watch--init-render=\"callbacks.watchForRender\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.watchForResize\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:310px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:310px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">Most Supreme Court rulings that were later overturned stood for fewer than 25 years<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">Number of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that were in place for __ before being overturned<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/most_supreme_court_rulings_that_were_later_overturned_stood_for_fewer_than_25_years-298560-1775670436.png\" alt=\"Chart\" class=\"chart-fallback chart-fallback--png\" style=\"width:310px;height:auto;\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Duration is calculated using the calendar year of each decision, as opposed to the term year. Some cases have overturned multiple older rulings.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0; max-width:310px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\" id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-table\" style=\"max-width:310px;\">\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">Most Supreme Court rulings that were later overturned stood for fewer than 25 years<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">Number of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that were in place for __ before being overturned<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table__inner\" style=\"max-width: 310px !important; margin-bottom: 0; overflow: auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table is-scroll-on-pc is-scroll-on-mobile chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout is-sticky-first-column\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align:left\">Years<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center\">Cases<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center\">%<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Fewer than 25 years<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">167<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">57%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">25-49<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">78<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">27%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">50-74<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">19<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">7%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">75-99<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">18<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">6%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">100+<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">10<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__download-data-button-hr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__download-data-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"has-sans-serif-font-family\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\tDownload data as .csv\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Duration is calculated using the calendar year of each decision, as opposed to the term year. Some cases have overturned multiple older rulings.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:310px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-chart-id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Data<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"97af3b09-cda9-40d6-976e-b2cdd85f9333\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first time the Supreme Court overturned its own ruling was in 1810, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/USREPORTS-10\/pdf\/USREPORTS-10-281.pdf\">Hudson and Smith v. Guestier<\/a>. This case broadly concerned courts\u2019 international jurisdiction and overruled a decision handed down two years earlier. On average, <strong>decisions that have been overturned by the court stood for around 29 years before being reversed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many rulings lasted much longer, including 10 that were in place for at least a century before being overturned. On the other end of the spectrum, 71 rulings were in place for a decade or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across the most recent 20 terms, the average overturned decision had a shelf life of around 38 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"what-kinds-of-cases-have-been-overturned-most-frequently\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What kinds of cases have been overturned most frequently?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:420px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:298844,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/08\\\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/more-than-half-of-supreme-court-cases-that-overturned-an-older-ruling-dealt-with-economic-activity-or-criminal-procedure\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-04-08&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:298919,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/more_than_half_of_supreme_court_cases_that_overturned_an_older_ruling_dealt_with_economic_activity_or_criminal_procedure-298552-1775673131.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;More than half of Supreme Court cases that overturned an older ruling dealt with economic activity or criminal procedure&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;% of U.S. Supreme Court cases that concerned \\u2026&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;Note: Figures reflect cases from the Supreme Court&#039;s founding through its 2024 term. Read \\&quot;&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/08\\\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\\\/#atr\\&quot; data-type=\\&quot;link\\&quot; data-id=\\&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/08\\\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\\\/#atr\\&quot;&gt;About this research&lt;\\\/a&gt;\\&quot; for more information about the\\u00a0issue area categories.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW RESEARCH CENTER&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;Issue area&quot;,&quot;All cases&quot;,&quot;Cases that overturned an older ruling&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;Economic activity&quot;,&quot;28.9%&quot;,&quot;27.1%&quot;],[&quot;Criminal procedure&quot;,&quot;11.0%&quot;,&quot;26.7%&quot;],[&quot;Civil rights&quot;,&quot;9.9%&quot;,&quot;13.6%&quot;],[&quot;Federalism&quot;,&quot;3.1%&quot;,&quot;8.1%&quot;],[&quot;Judicial power&quot;,&quot;19.1%&quot;,&quot;7.6%&quot;],[&quot;First Amendment&quot;,&quot;2.8%&quot;,&quot;6.4%&quot;],[&quot;Due process&quot;,&quot;3.9%&quot;,&quot;3.8%&quot;],[&quot;Federal taxation&quot;,&quot;5.1%&quot;,&quot;2.5%&quot;],[&quot;Unions&quot;,&quot;1.8%&quot;,&quot;2.5%&quot;],[&quot;Attorneys&quot;,&quot;1.1%&quot;,&quot;0.0%&quot;],[&quot;Interstate relations&quot;,&quot;0.9%&quot;,&quot;0.0%&quot;],[&quot;Other&quot;,&quot;12.2%&quot;,&quot;1.7%&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:false}\" data-wp-init--detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init--sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init--watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init--reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/more_than_half_of_supreme_court_cases_that_overturned_an_older_ruling_dealt_with_economic_activity_or_criminal_procedure-298552-1775673131.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/more-than-half-of-supreme-court-cases-that-overturned-an-older-ruling-dealt-with-economic-activity-or-criminal-procedure\/\" data-chart-title=\"More than half of Supreme Court cases that overturned an older ruling dealt with economic activity or criminal procedure\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-inner wp-block-prc-chart-builder-chart\" id=\"chart-block-6\" data-wp-key=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-prc-chart-id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart&quot;}\" data-wp-watch--init-render=\"callbacks.watchForRender\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.watchForResize\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:420px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:420px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">More than half of Supreme Court cases that overturned an older ruling dealt with economic activity or criminal procedure<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. Supreme Court cases that concerned \u2026<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/more_than_half_of_supreme_court_cases_that_overturned_an_older_ruling_dealt_with_economic_activity_or_criminal_procedure-298552-1775673131.png\" alt=\"Chart\" class=\"chart-fallback chart-fallback--png\" style=\"width:420px;height:auto;\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Figures reflect cases from the Supreme Court&#8217;s founding through its 2024 term. Read &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/#atr\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/#atr\">About this research<\/a>&#8221; for more information about the\u00a0issue area categories.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0; max-width:420px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\" id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-table\" style=\"max-width:420px;\">\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 420px;\">\n\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">More than half of Supreme Court cases that overturned an older ruling dealt with economic activity or criminal procedure<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. Supreme Court cases that concerned \u2026<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table__inner\" style=\"max-width: 420px !important; margin-bottom: 0; overflow: auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table is-scroll-on-pc is-scroll-on-mobile chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout is-sticky-first-column\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align:left;line-height:1.1\">Issue area<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center;line-height:1.1\">All cases<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center;line-height:1.1\">Cases that overturned an older ruling<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Economic activity<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">28.9%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">27.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Criminal procedure<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">11.0%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">26.7%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Civil rights<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">9.9%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">13.6%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Federalism<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">3.1%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">8.1%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Judicial power<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">19.1%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">7.6%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">First Amendment<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">2.8%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">6.4%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Due process<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">3.9%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3.8%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Federal taxation<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">5.1%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">2.5%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Unions<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1.8%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">2.5%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Attorneys<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1.1%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Interstate relations<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">0.9%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Other<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">12.2%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">1.7%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__download-data-button-hr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__download-data-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"has-sans-serif-font-family\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\tDownload data as .csv\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Figures reflect cases from the Supreme Court&#8217;s founding through its 2024 term. Read &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/#atr\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/08\/how-often-does-the-supreme-court-overturn-its-own-decisions\/#atr\">About this research<\/a>&#8221; for more information about the\u00a0issue area categories.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Library of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court Database at Pennsylvania State University.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 420px;\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:420px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-chart-id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Data<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"14ef24c8-ca1f-4b8b-8ec5-f06db41ebf0f\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court has overturned precedents in a variety of legal areas. For example, the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 broadly concerned <strong>civil rights.<\/strong> That\u2019s according to the Supreme Court Database, which categorizes cases by issue area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, 14% of Supreme Court rulings that overturned precedents concerned civil rights. That\u2019s slightly higher than the share of <em>all <\/em>high court cases that concern civil rights (10%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than a quarter of all decisions that overturned earlier rulings are related to <strong>economic activity <\/strong>(27%), similar to the share of <em>all<\/em> cases related to the same topic (29%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One prominent case in this category is Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a June 2024 ruling that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2024\/06\/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies\/\">overturned a 40-year precedent<\/a>. It ended the practice of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2024\/06\/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies\/\">Chevron deference<\/a>,\u201d which gave federal agencies the power to interpret laws they administer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Criminal procedure<\/strong> cases are disproportionately likely to have been overturned: 27% of all decisions that overturned earlier ones relate to criminal procedure, compared with only 11% of <em>all <\/em>Supreme Court decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ramos v. Louisiana, a 2020 criminal procedure case, overturned two separate precedents that had been on the books for almost five decades. The justices ruled that a jury must find a criminal defendant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/04\/20\/us\/politics\/supreme-court-unanimous-verdicts.html\">guilty by a unanimous verdict<\/a> rather than a majority verdict, as was allowed in some states at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between the 2005 and 2024 terms, several cases that reversed others have been related to civil rights or criminal procedure (five each) or economic activity (four).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Related:<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/09\/03\/favorable-views-of-supreme-court-remain-near-historic-low\/\"><em>Favorable views of Supreme Court remain near historic low<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fewer than 1% of Supreme Court cases have overturned an older decision. 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