If you want to understand how American politics has become more polarized and extreme over the last decade, look no farther than Asheville, North Carolina — now split between two of the most gerrymandered districts in the country. … And, a decade ago, North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, with Asheville […] Read more »
Emails Show Trump Officials Consulted With GOP Strategist On Citizenship Question
A prominent GOP redistricting strategist had direct communication with an adviser to the Trump administration concerning the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, newly released emails show. The emails were released Tuesday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which has been conducting an investigation into the […] Read more »
Nationwide Marquette Law School Poll finds confidence in U.S. Supreme Court, overall
A Marquette Law School Poll of voters nationwide provides wide-ranging measures of public understanding and opinion of the United States Supreme Court. Among the findings: A majority of respondents have more confidence in the Court than in other parts of the federal government; few see the Court as taking extremely […] Read more »
The House’s Republican Bias: Does it Exist?
The Republican Party’s structural advantage in federal elections has been well documented in liberal circles. Democrats argue that Republicans have so heavily gerrymandered the House that the institution’s legitimacy is at stake. But do Democrats really face a structural disadvantage in House elections? Two measures of bias — the Median […] Read more »
The Gerrymandering Fight Moves To The States
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts would not decide cases on partisan gerrymandering. Now the legal battle has moved to the states. A North Carolina court panel ruled Tuesday that the state’s legislative maps violate the state’s constitution, ordering that they be redrawn within two weeks. In […] Read more »
The Secret Files of the Master of Modern Republican Gerrymandering
Thomas Hofeller preached secrecy as he remapped American politics from the shadows. The Republican Party operative, known as the master of the modern gerrymander, trained other G.O.P. operatives and legislators nationwide to secure their computer networks, guard access to their maps, and never send e-mails that they didn’t want to […] Read more »