Routine court decisions collectively shape policy as much as landmark rulings do.

Evidence

Although some cases raise important policy issues, most court cases involve more mundane disputes of concern only to the disputants. No new legal principles emerge from these cases, and the societal impact of individual decisions is minimal. Yet one should not distinguish too sharply between the few decisions that announce new policy and those decisions that make up the bulk of court business. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2816

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes announcement of new doctrine from aggregate policy effect, a key distinction for cumulative judicial policymaking.