Gerrymandering the States

Erscheinungsjahr 2021
ISBN: 978-1-108-99545-0
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 250 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 402 g

State legislatures are tasked with drawing state and federal districts and administering election law, among many other responsibilities. Yet state legislatures are themselves gerrymandered. This book examines how, why, and with what consequences, drawing on an original dataset of ninety-five state legislative maps from before and after 2011 redistricting. Identifying the institutional, political, and geographic determinants of gerrymandering, the authors find that Republican gerrymandering increased dramatically after the 2011 redistricting and bias was most extreme in states with racial segregation where Republicans drew the maps. This bias has had long-term consequences. For instance, states with the most extreme Republican gerrymandering were more likely to pass laws that restricted voting rights and undermined public health, and they were less likely to respond to COVID-19. The authors examine the implications for American democracy and for the balance of power between federal and state government; they also offer empirically grounded recommendations for reform.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Keena, Alex

Latner, Michael

McGann, Anthony J. McGann

Smith, Charles Anthony

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Öffentliches Recht Medizin- und Gesundheitsrecht
• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Internationales Recht Internationales Öffentliches Recht, Völkerrecht, Internationale Organisationen
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Redistricting wars in the U.S. States; 2. What happened in 2011? The other 'great gerrymander'; 3. When politicians draw the maps; 4. How political geography affects bias; 5. Racial geography, the voting rights act, and bias; 6. The policy and social consequences of state legislative gerrymandering; 7. The democratic harms of gerrymandering; 8. When the courts redistrict; 9. How to design effective anti-gerrymandering reforms; Conclusion; References; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Keena, Alex
Alex Keena is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Latner, Michael
Michael Latner is Professor of Political Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Senior Fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy in Washington, DC.

Smith, Charles Anthony
Charles Anthony Smith is Professor in Political Science and Law at the University of California, Irvine.

McGann, Anthony J. McGann
Anthony J. McGann is Professor of Government and Public Policy at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.