Shaping Congressional Districts
In recent years some states have gerrymandered election districts in an effort to increase minority representation. Examine and evaluate in detail the arguments for and against such action, and gerrymandering in general, and discuss important court rulings that have affected gerrymandering.
Here are some articles to get you started. Find them through Keyword searches. Go to InfoTrac.
For more articles on this subject, enter:
"gerrymander" in the Subject Guide.
"gerymandering" in Keywords.
TRB From Washington: Character Witness. (examples of Pres Bush's dishonesty) Peter Beinart. The New Republic June 2, 2003 p6 (1035 words)
Libertarian cries foul over gerrymandering: 73 of 100 Indiana House races uncontested. Peter Schnitzler. Indianapolis Business Journal Sept 30, 2002 v23 i29 p42A(1)
Q&A on gerrymandering with Dan Polsby. United Press International Sept 25, 2002 p1008268w9386
How to rig an election; Congressional redistricting. (How redistricting is making America steadily less democratic) The Economist (US) April 27, 2002 pNA
Picturing Ugly Districts. (political gerrymandering) Katharine Inglis Butler. New Jersey Law Journal August 13, 2001 v165 i7 pS-8
Segregation Forever? Where the GOP and the Black Caucus link arms. (Republicans support racial gerrymandering) John J. Miller. National Review May 14, 2001 v53 i9 pNA
The redistricting cases: original mistakes and current consequences. (election districts) Michael W. McConnell. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy Fall 2000 v24 i1 p103
The dirty little secrets of Shaw. (use of race in election districting plans) Melissa L. Saunders. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy Fall 2000 v24 i1 p141
Reconsidering Shaw: the Miranda of race-conscious districting. Melissa L. Saunders. Yale Law Journal, May 2000 v109 i7 p1603
Hint: Enter the search terms "United States constitution" into the Subject Guide.
High Court Orders N.C. To Hold Election In District Of Rep. Mel Watt. (Brief Article) Jet, April 10, 2000 v97 i18 p8
How gerrymandering helped American blacks. (the strangely shaped 12th District in North Carolina) David Edmonds. New Statesman (1996) October 11, 1999 v128 i4458 p32
A social science approach to race, redistricting, and representation. (response to David Lublin, in this issue, p 183) David Epstein, Sharyn O'Halloran. American Political Science Review, March 1999 v93 i1 p187(5)
The Paradox of Representations: Racial Gerrymandering and Minority Interests in Congress. (book reviews) Frank J. Macchiarola. Political Science Quarterly, Fall 1998 v113 n3 p533(1)
Racial redistricting and African-American representation: a critique of 'Do Majority-Minority Districts maximize substantive black representation in Congress?'. (response to Charles Cameron, David Epstein and Sharyn O'Halloran, American Political Science Review, vol. 90, p 794, December 1996) David Lublin. American Political Science Review, March 1999 v93 i1 p183(4)
A thin black line: redistricting. (how redrawing of Congressional district lines affects incumbents) The Economist (US) August 16, 1997 v344 n8030 p23(2)
The unwelcome judicial obligation to respect politics in racial gerrymandering remedies. Jeffrey L. Fisher. Michigan Law Review March 1997 v95 n5 p1404-1442
Wronging voting rights. (Supreme Court decision on minority election districts)(Editorial) The Nation July 8, 1996 v263 n2 p5(1) Mag.Coll.: 84J0254.
Racial gerrymandering. Mark F. Bernstein. The Public Interest Wntr 1996 n122 p59(11)
Racial gerrymandering: how is it changing our politics? Robert A. Branan. Campaigns & Elections April 1995 v16 n4 p20(2)
Elbridge Gerry: the father of 'Gerrymandering.' Paul Schumacher. Stamps March 18, 1995 v250 n12 p11(1) Mag.Coll.: 78D5927.
Gerrymandering: out of the political thicket and into the quagmire. (Election Systems and Representative Democracy) Mark E. Rush. PS: Political Science & Politics Dec 1994 v27 n4 p682(4)
An old war, a new fight: can gerrymandering by race be right? Jerelyn Eddings. U.S. News & World Report Sept 26, 1994 v117 n12 p52(2) Mag.Coll.: 75H0636. Bus.Coll.: 81Q2106.
Enhancing democracy through legislative redistricting. Andrew Gelman, Gary King. American Political Science Review Sept 1994 v88 n3 p541(19)
Expressive harms, "bizarre districts," and voting rights: evaluating election-district appearances after Shaw v. Reno. (Symposium: The Future of Voting Rights After Shaw v. Reno) Richard H. Pildes, Richard G. Niemi. Michigan Law Review Dec 1993 v92 n3 p483-587
Race and redistricting: drawing constitutional lines after Shaw v. Reno. (Symposium: The Future of Voting Rights After Shaw v. Reno) T. Alexander Aleinikoff, Samuel Issacharoff. Michigan Law Review Dec 1993 v92 n3 p588-651
Ugly: an inquiry into the problem of racial gerrymandering under the Voting Rights Act. (Symposium: The Future of Voting Rights After Shaw v. Reno) Daniel D. Polsby, Robert D. Popper. Michigan Law Review Dec 1993 v92 n3 p652-682
Gerrymandered. (Court Watch - Voting Rights Act and all-minority voting districts) (Column) Jeffrey Rosen.
The New Republic Oct 25, 1993 v209 n17 p12(2) Mag.Coll.: 70L0329.
Voting wrongs. (racial reapportionment) John Meacham. Washington Monthly March 1993 v25 n3 p28(5) Mag.Coll.: 68D3501.
Party lines: the Republicans' racial quotas. (reapportionment policy of creating minority-safe districts benefits GOP) Linda Chavez. The New Republic June 24, 1991 v204 n25 p14(3) Mag.Coll.: 60E0327. |
