par Bouton, Laurent 
;Castanheira De Moura, Micael ;Génicot, Garance;Stashko, Allison
Publication Publié, 2024-10
;Castanheira De Moura, Micael ;Génicot, Garance;Stashko, AllisonPublication Publié, 2024-10
Travail de recherche/Working paper
| Résumé : | This paper studies the manipulation of electoral maps by political parties, commonly referred to as \textit{gerrymandering}. At the core of our analysis is the recognition that not all inhabitants of a district vote. This is important for gerrymandering as districts must have the same population size, but only active voters matter for electoral outcomes. We propose a model of gerrymandering that allows for heterogeneity in turnout across individuals. This model reveals a new strategy for the gerrymanderers: the pattern is to \textit{pack-crack-pack} along the turnout dimension. Specifically, parties benefit from packing low-turnout supporters and high-turnout opponents, while creating cracked districts that combine moderate-to-high-turnout supporters with lower-turnout opponents.These findings yield testable empirical implications about the relationship between partisan support, turnout rates, and electoral maps. Using a novel empirical strategy based on comparing maps proposed by Democrats and Republicans during the 2020 U.S. redistricting cycle, we test these predictions and find supporting evidence. |
