The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
23. Why Is My Congressional District Such a Weird Shape?
The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
Jeffrey L. Bernstein [+]
Eastern Michigan University
Jeffrey L. Bernstein is a professor of political science and Director of the Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center at Eastern Michigan University. His work focuses primarily on civic education and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Description
This chapter addresses the question of why congressional districts often have such funny shapes - what does the constitutional say about the shapes of congressional districts, what does it mean to gerrymander districts, what forms does gerrymandering take, and what are the consequences of having gerrymandered congressional districts.