Do reversal rates align with party affiliation?

Bloomberg Law reports Trial Court Reversals Track Party of Judges in Cases, Study Says

• Study finds appellate reversal rates align with party affiliation
• Alignment shows ‘evidence of polarization’

Federal appellate court panels are more likely to uphold rulings by trial court judges if they were appointed by presidents of the same political party, a new study found. The study, published Wednesday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, concluded the political affiliations of the members of three-judge appeals court panels “have a significant impact” on whether the underlying trial court decision is reversed.