2025/12/22 by SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, Sam D. Hayes
Social Sciences · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Gender Politics and Representation #Policy Transfer and Learning
paper · doi:10.1177/10659129251408063
openalex created_date 2025/12/22 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
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.