Dynamic Responsiveness in Congress: When Do Representatives and Institutions Respond to Redistricting-Induced Constituency Change?

Abstract

The demographic makeup of district constituencies has been shown to predict individual representatives’ voting support for minority interests. Redistricting induced changes in constituency ideology also elicits corresponding shifts in ideological voting behaviors of individual representatives. But do redistricting induced shifts in constituency demographics produce corresponding shifts in support for group interests in increasingly certain electoral environments? By examining the extent which demographic changes induced by the 2000 redistricting correspond with changes in group support from the 107th to the 108th Congresses, as measured by the NHLA, LCCR, NAACP, and DW Nominate, we show that changes in individual voting behavior is driven by partisan trends, not responsiveness to specific district constituencies. These findings indicate a dramatic lack of dynamic responsiveness, and suggest that contemporary partisan Gerrymandering may diminish “delegate” representation in Congress.

Keywords: redistricting representation