New Lines,New Districts,New Representation: Institutional Impacts of Congressional Redistricting

Abstract

How do decisions made by political institutions during the congressional redistricting process impact the representation of politically vulnerable groups in the United States? Using an original data set covering six decades of congressional redistricting plans, this paper finds that demographic minorities and the economically vulnerable are more likely to be shifted among congressional districts than the general population. Further, the magnitude of these shifts varies by redistricting institution, with the largest changes caused by partisan institutions. Demographic groups, including foreign-born and Black constituencies, are more likely to be shifted collectively, while economically vulnerable populations are more likely to be diffused throughout the state. These findings have normative implications for the quality of representation that politically vulnerable populations receive, and how different redistricting institutions prioritize mapmaking goals. This manuscript also presents an original dataset of historical redistricting trends, introducing an opportunity for future research on representations, underrepresented populations, and redistricting.