Reflections on "Redistricting and Legislative Partisanship"

Many argue that redistricting reform will reduce partisanship in the state legislature. They base this claim on two assumptions: (1) legislators respond strongly to the competitiveness of their districts, and (2) the 2001 redistricting made districts less competitive. The second assumption is true, but the first is not. In this article, I summarize the findings of a recent report that analyzes voting patterns in the state legislature. It shows that competitive districts often elect highly partisan legislators, and that the legislature was about as partisan before the 2001 redistricting as it has been since. I conclude with some implications and suggestions for alternative reforms.