Effects of Redistricting Methods on Election Outcomes and Congressional Polarization, 2002-2010

Every decade the United States conducts a census of the population, which is used to allocate congressional seats amongst the states. To reflect this change, states also redraw their voting districts. They do this in three major ways: through their state legislatures, through an independent commission, or through a hybrid system. This paper contends that these different means of redrawing states' districts have differing effects on the outcomes of congressional elections, as well as on the level of polarization in Congress. Specifically, this paper examines election data for the House of Representatives from each state during the years 2002 to 2010, as well as calculated scores of polarization for each elected candidate. Using this data, this paper analyzes the relative impact of each redistricting method and how it accounts for the current level of polarization in the House of Representatives. Lastly, this paper will use these findings to make policy recommendations for the future.