Redistricting in Comparative Perspective

Edited by Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley

Comparative Politics

The aim of this book is threefold. First to put in one place for the convenience of both scholars and practitioners the basic data on redistricting practices in democracies around the world. Remarkably, this data has never before been collected. Second, to provide a series of short case studies that look in more detail at particular countries with regard to the institutions and practices that have evolved for redistricting and the nature of the debates that have arisen. Third, to begin to look in comparative perspective at the consequences of alternative redistricting mechanisms and at the tradeoffs among competing redistricting criteria.
This volume has contributions from some of the leading specialists on redistricting in the world. The chapters reflect a mix of country-specific material, chapters that are broadly comparative, and chapters whose contributions are more methodological in nature. The chapters in this volume provide an indispensable introduction to the institutions, practices, and consequences of boundary delimitation around the world.

Redistricting in Comparative Perspective

Edited by Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley

Comparative Politics

Description

The aim of this book is threefold. First to put in one place for the convenience of both scholars and practitioners the basic data on redistricting practices in democracies around the world. Remarkably, this data has never before been collected. Second, to provide a series of short case studies that look in more detail at particular countries with regard to the institutions and practices that have evolved for redistricting and the nature of the debates that have arisen. Third, to begin to look in comparative perspective at the consequences of alternative redistricting mechanisms and at the tradeoffs among competing redistricting criteria.

This volume has contributions from some of the leading specialists on redistricting in the world. The chapters reflect a mix of country-specific material, chapters that are broadly comparative, and chapters whose contributions are more methodological in nature. The chapters in this volume provide an indispensable introduction to the institutions, practices, and consequences of boundary delimitation around the world.

Comparative Politics is a series for students and teachers of political science that deals with contemporary issues in comparative government and politics. The General Editors are David M. Farrell, Jean Monnet Chair in European Politics and Head of School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester and Alfio Mastropaolo, University of Turin. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research.

Redistricting in Comparative Perspective

Edited by Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley

Comparative Politics

Introduction, Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley
1. From Gerrymanders to Independence: District Boundary Readjustments in Canada, John Courtney
2. An Independent Commission with Political Input: New Zealand's Electoral Redistribution Practices, Alan McRobie
3. From Politics to Technicalities: Mexican Redistricting in Historical Perspective, Alonso Lujambio and Horacio Vives
4. United States Redistricting: A Comparative Look at the 50 States, Michael P. McDonald
5. Delimitation in India, Alistair McMillan
6. Redistribution in Australia: The Importance of One Vote, One Value, Rod Medew
7. The Politics of Redistricting in Japan: A Contradiction between Equal Population and Local Government Boundaries, Toshimasha Moriwaki
8. Reserved Seats in National Legislatures: A Comparative Approach, Andrew Reynolds
9. The Design of Ethnically Mixed Constituencies in Fiji, 1970-2006, Jon Fraenkel
10. Race and Redistricting in the United States, David Lublin
11. Electoral Boundary Delimitation in Ireland, John Coakley
12. Redistricting in France under Changing Electoral Rules, Michel Balinski
13. Delimiting Electoral Boundaries in Post-Conflict Settings, Lisa Handley
14. Electoral Distortion Despite Redistricting by Independent Commissions: the British Case 1950-2005, Ron, Johnston, Charles Pattie, and David Rossiter
15. The Partisan Consequences of Baker v. Carr and the One Person, One Vote Revolution, Thomas Brunell and Bernard Grofman
16. Automating the Districting Process: An Experiment Using a Japanese Case Study, Toshishiro Sakaguchi and Junichiro Wada
17. Districting in Eastern Europe: Regulations and Practices, Marina Popescu and Gabor Toka
18. A Comparative Survey of Structures and Criteria for Boundary Delimitation, Lisa Handley

Redistricting in Comparative Perspective

Edited by Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley

Comparative Politics

Author Information

Bernard Grofman received his B.S. in Mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Chicago in 1972. He has been Professor of Political Science since 1980, and on the faculty of the University of California, Irvine since 1976. His past research has dealt with mathematical models of group decision making, legislative representation, electoral rules, and redistricting. Currently, he is working on comparative politics and political economy, with an emphasis on viewing the United States in comparative perspective. He is co-author of 4 books and co-editor of 16 other books; he has published over 200 research articles and book chapters, including work in the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, the British Journal of Political Science, Electoral Studies, Social Choice and Welfare, and Public Choice. Professor Grofman is a past President of the Public Choice Society.

Lisa Handley is President of Frontier International Electoral Consulting and a widely recognized expert on the drawing of electoral boundaries, her previous books include Minority Representation and the Quest for Voting Equality (with B. Grofman and R.G. Niemi, CUP, 1994).

Contributors:

Bernard Grofman, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine
Lisa Handley, Research Analyst, Election Data Services, Washington DC
John Courtney, Professor Emeritus (Retired), University of Saskatchewan
Alan McRobie, practising politician and former lecturer at both the Christchurch College of Education and the University of Canterbury.
Alonso Lujambio, President of the Federal Institute for Access to Information
Horacio Vives
Michael P. McDonald, Department of Public and International Affairs, George Mason University
Alistair McMillan, The Department of Politics University of Sheffield
Rod Medew, Australian Electoral Commission
Toshimasha Moriwaki, Department of Political Science at Kwensei.
Andrew Reynolds, University of North Carolina
Jon Fraenkel, Jon Fraenkel is senior research fellow at the Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development and Governance, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
David Lublin, is Associate Professor of Government at American University
John Coakley, University College, Dublin
Michel Balinski , Laboratoire d'Econométrie, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris
Ron Johnston, University of Bristol
Charles Pattie, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield
David Rossiter, Department of Geography, University of Leeds
Thomas Brunell, University of Texas at Dallas
Toshishiro Sakaguchi,
Junichiro Wada
Gabor Toka, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, Central European University, Budapest

Redistricting in Comparative Perspective

Edited by Bernard Grofman and Lisa Handley

Comparative Politics

Reviews and Awards

"All of the chapters in this useful volume are capable of standing alone, so they can be read selectively depnding on readers' interests."--American Review of Politics