What is the most common outcome when the Supreme Court issues a ruling?

The most common outcome when the Supreme Court issues a ruling is indeed a majority decision. This means that the ruling is based on the opinion of more than half of the justices participating in the case. A majority decision reflects a consensus on the legal reasoning and the application of law to the specific case at hand.

In many cases, justices may have differing interpretations, but it is the majority opinion that officially establishes legal precedent. The majority ruling provides the binding resolution on the legal issue, guiding lower courts and influencing future cases. While unanimous decisions do occur, they are less frequent because justices often hold differing views on complex legal matters. Dissenting opinions and divisions can highlight important legal disagreements, but they do not carry the weight of the law like majority decisions do. Thus, the prevalence of majority decisions underscores their significance in judicial practice and their role in shaping legal frameworks in the United States.