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American Politics Research
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Redistricting and Party Polarization in the U.S. House of Representatives

Jamie L. Carson

University of Georgia, Athens

Michael H. Crespin

University of Georgia, Athens

Charles J. Finocchiaro

University of South Carolina, Columbia

David W. Rohde

Duke University, Durham, NC

The elevated levels of party polarization observed in the contemporary Congress have been attributed to a variety of factors. One of the more commonly recurring themes among observers of congressional politics is that changes in district boundaries resulting from the redistricting process are a root cause. Using a new data set linking congressional districts from 1962 to 2002, we offer a direct test of this claim. Our results show that although there is an overall trend of increasing polarization, districts that have undergone significant changes as a result of redistricting have become even more polarized. Although the effect is relatively modest, it suggests that redistricting is one among other factors that produce party polarization in the House and may help to explain the elevated levels of polarization in the House relative to the Senate.

Key Words: redistricting • reapportionment • U.S. House of Representatives • political polarization • political ideology • gerrymandering

American Politics Research, Vol. 35, No. 6, 878-904 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1532673X07304263
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[Abstract] [PDF]