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Gerrymandering
The Politics of Redistricting in the United States
Stephen K. Medvic
polity
Copyright © Stephen K. Medvic 2021
The right of Stephen K. Medvic to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2021 by Polity Press
Polity Press
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Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK
Polity Press
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Suite 300
Medford, MA 02155, USA
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-3688-7
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Medvic, Stephen K, author.
Title: Gerrymandering : the politics of redistricting in the United States / Stephen K Medvic.
Description: Medford : Polity Press, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “A rigorous exposé of the practice of gerrymandering and its impact on American democracy”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020046421 (print) | LCCN 2020046422 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509536863 (Hardback) | ISBN 9781509536870 (Paperback) | ISBN 9781509536887 (ePub)
Subjects: LCSH: Gerrymandering--United States. | Politics, Practical--United States.
Classification: LCC JK1341 .M44 2021 (print) | LCC JK1341 (ebook) | DDC 328.73/073455--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020046421 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020046422
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Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.
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Acknowledgements
Writing this book was made significantly more pleasurable because of the professionalism and good humor of the entire Polity team. I thank Louise Knight for her support of the project and for her patience when I fell behind schedule (which, sadly, happened more than once). I had the good fortune to work with three outstanding editorial assistants: Nekane Tanaka Galdos, Sophie Wright, and, especially, Inès Boxman, who was on board for most of the time I was writing. Her periodic check-ins served as gentle, but effective, nudges to keep my nose to the grindstone. The production process, overseen by Neil de Cort, was efficient and, from my perspective at least, seamless. Ian Tuttle did a fantastic job of copy-editing the manuscript and saved me from more than one embarrassing mistake.
I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to my wife, Laura. As I worked on this book, I was constantly inspired by the grace with which she handles her work as Registrar of Franklin & Marshall College, the graduate classes she’s taking, and all the other responsibilities she has on her plate. Her energy is infectious and I can’t imagine facing life’s challenges without her love and encouragement.
CHAPTER 1 What’s the Problem?
In the 2012 US elections, a majority of voters who went to the polls in Pennsylvania cast a ballot for the Democratic candidate for Congress in their district. Yet, of the 18 seats from Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives, the Republican Party won 13 of them. In other words, though they garnered a bit more than 50 percent of the congressional
