Factors influencing SC decisions

What are the factors that influence judicial decisions? As you may have noticed, the Supreme Court recently handed down some pretty big decisions on same-sex marriage (in Obergefell v Hodges) and the Affordable Care Act (in King v. Burwell). Now, it's important to remember that these decisions are not made in a vacuum, but influenced by the other branches of government, political affiliations, and past court decisions.

We’ll also talk about a judge’s judicial philosophy - that is their relative restraint or activism in making decisions on laws. Judicial restraint is often equated with conservatism, but as we’ll show you, this is not always the case.
SOURCE: Judicial Decisions: Crash Course Government and Politics #22. CrashCourse. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6b17PVsYBQ0ip5gyeme-Q. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjLcLguoKC4