Despite advances in understanding the impacts of at-large versus district systems of representation at the local level, little is known about how local governments deal with minority populations while drawing the boundaries of local council districts. This question is examined using data drawn from American cities of 50,000 to 1,000,000 population in which some or all council members are elected from single-member wards or districts. The findings suggest that considerable attention was given to minority interests in the redrawing of council districts following the 1980 Census, and that those interests received more attention in southern cities operating under a pre-Bolden interpretation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
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