Gerrymandering the States
Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism

The first rigorous, big-data investigation of partisan restricting at the state level.

Alex Keena (Author), Michael Latner (Author), Anthony J. McGann McGann (Author), Charles Anthony Smith (Author)

9781316518120, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 July 2021

250 pages
23.6 x 15.7 x 2.2 cm, 0.515 kg

'The authors' previous book, Gerrymandering in America, was a comprehensive look at congressional redistricting in terms of the legal rules, the political machinations, and the partisan consequences. Gerrymandering the States is even more ambitious because it tells the story of the past decade of redistricting at the state legislative level. With the Supreme Court's abdication in Rucho of any federal role in preventing partisan gerrymandering, and the large number of states under trifecta (one-party) control where partisanship can be given free rein, the next round of redistricting should see the most egregious partisan gerrymandering ever. The battle for America's political future will be fought in state legislatures and state courts and this book gives its readers the necessary knowledge to understand that struggle.' Bernard Grofman, University of California, Irvine

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Public health & safety law [LNTJ], Constitutional & administrative law [LND], Public international law [LBB], Political science & theory [JPA]