Since the early days of American Democracy, politicians have been finding ways to draw districts to benefit themselves and their party. While redistricting rules are supposed to protect the principle of “one person, one vote,” and this standard has been upheld by the Supreme Court, partisan gerrymandering still persists. Many see this as a threat to the integrity of our democracy because it erodes the sense that our votes are the unadulterated expression of our political preferences. More recently, various reform efforts have sprung up across the country aimed at changing the way districts are drawn. While much has been done to study the proposals’ efficacy, little research has been done on how people form their opinions on these reforms. Do people act only in political self-interest, or do considerations of fairness matter too? How much of a role do partisan cues and the way the issue is communicated play? Ultimately, this course has a dual purpose: 1) to explore the history and current political movements around the definition of districts, the fundamental units in which our votes are counted; and 2) to use redistricting as a case to study how political opinions are formed more broadly.

Course Requirements:

Attend class weekly, complete brief assignments, and participate in our online and in-class discussions.

Intended Audience:

Honors students in their first year at the University of Michigan