Law Commons^™

The Boundaries Of Partisan Gerrymandering, John M. Greabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] “In my most recent column, I expressed concern about the effectiveness of the constitutional decision rules that currently govern gerrymandering – the redrawing of electoral districts in a manner that favors the incumbent majority at the expense of those out of power.

Briefly, the Constitution has not been interpreted to prohibit redistricting with an eye toward advancing the interests of the political party in power. But it has been interpreted to bar legislators from redistricting on racial grounds – at least in most circumstances.

The problem is that voters from certain racial groups tend to vote overwhelmingly for …

Congressional Risk Proposals, Dalton G. Paxman

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Paxman relates how an ambitious environmental agenda supported by the Administration and many members of the 103d Congress was ultimately derailed. He associates this with an apparently ever-growing interest in risk assessment.