Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty - Softcover

McGann, Anthony J.; Smith, Charles Anthony; Latner, Michael; Keena, Alex

Softcover

ISBN 10: 131650767X ISBN 13: 9781316507674

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2016

Synopsis

This book considers the causes and consequences of partisan gerrymandering in the U.S. House. The Supreme Court's decision in Vieth v. Jubelirer (2004) made challenging a district plan on ground of partisan gerrymandering practically impossible. Through a rigorous scientific analysis of US House district maps, the authors argue that partisan bias increased dramatically in the 2010 redistricting round after the Vieth decision, both at the national and state level. From a constitutional perspective, unrestrained partisan gerrymandering poses a critical threat to a central pillar of American democracy -- popular sovereignty. State legislatures now effectively determine the political composition of the US House. The book answers the Court's challenge to find a new standard for gerrymandering that is both constitutionally grounded and legally manageable. It argues that the scientifically rigorous partisan symmetry measure is an appropriate legal standard for partisan gerrymandering, as it is a necessary condition of individual equality and can be practically applied.

About this title

Book Description:

This book will appeal to anyone interested in elections, the Supreme Court, Congress, or equality grounded on the Constitution. When the Supreme Court decided partisan gerrymandering was beyond judicial oversight, it radically altered the constraints on redistricting and allowed for greater partisan bias.

About the Author:

Anthony J. McGann is a Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Strathclyde. His research examines the theory and practice of democratic institutions with a focus on electoral systems and the behavior of political parties. He has published The Logic of Democracy and The Radical Right in Western Europe (with Herbert Kitschelt). His articles have been featured in the American Journal of Political Science, the British Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Theoretical Politics, Public Choice, Comparative Political Studies, International Studies Quarterly, Electoral Studies, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Party Politics, and Legislative Studies Quarterly, among others.

Charles Anthony Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine. His books include The Rise and Fall of War Crimes Trials: From Charles I to Bush II (Cambridge, 2012) and Understanding the Political World, 12th edition (with James Danziger). He has published articles in the American Journal of Political Science, Law and Society Review, Political Research Quarterly, Justice System Journal, International Political Science Review, Judicature, the Journal of Human Rights, the Election Law Journal, Studies in Law, Politics and Society, Human Rights Review, the Journal of International Relations and Development, among other journals.

Michael Latner is Associate Professor of Political Science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he teaches and studies political participation, representation, and civic technology. He is Director of the Master's in Public Policy program and Faculty Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy's Digital Democracy Initiative. His professional memberships include Cal Poly's Geographic Information Systems User Group, Western Political Science Association, American Political Science Association, and International Political Science Association. Professor Latner has served as a political consultant on more than a dozen candidate and initiative campaigns across California, and as a civic technology and social media consultant for governments, associations, and businesses.

Alex Keena is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of California, Irvine whose research focuses on American political institutions and electoral politics. His dissertation explores how political representation in Congress is affected by the size of legislative districts and the long-term growth of the electorate.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 131650767X
• ISBN 13: 9781316507674
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272