Redistricting in the Classroom: A Module for Inductive Learning

Abstract

We describe a hands-on teaching module on the redistricting process for use in undergraduate classes. Students engage in the process of strategically drawing district lines, which allows them to inductively understand gerrymandering and its consequences. The module also encourages students to consider the many factors that complicate eff orts to identify a "fair" approach to redistricting, focusing on communities of interest. We also discuss a number of extensions to the activity and provide examples of controversial districts that may be used to illustrate various redistricting concepts. David Doherty is an assistant professor in the department Many of the concepts at the heart of political science focus on how confl icts among competing interests can and should be resolved. In our experience, students often come to class harboring expectations that there is an objectively correct way to resolve these confl icts and structure political institutions. Indeed, research suggests that much of the public believes that many of the thorniest political problems could be solved if political actors would simply eschew their own self-interest, stop responding to special interests, and do "what we all know is right" (see, e.g., Hibbing and Theiss-Morse 2002).The process of redistricting off ers a straightforward way to engage students with the ambiguity involved in establishing fair political processes as well as to familiarize them with a salient and controversial component of the American political system. In this article, we present an in-class module that is suitable for use in classes on introductory American politics, Congress, campaigns and elections, and other related topics. The module proceeds in three stages and can be implemented in a 50-to 60-minute class period. It also may be extended in a variety of ways for longer class meetings, and we encourage instructors to customize their module depending on the needs of their particular class. The module is built around simple hands-on activities that provide a framework for students to refl ect on the strategic and normative considerations that shape debates about the redistricting process.Developing a curriculum that allows students to engage in experiential or "active" learning is important because it encourages classroom participation, promotes a deeper understanding of material, and "give[s] life and immediacy to the subject matter" (McCarthy and Anderson 2000). Furthermore, experiential learning is particularly useful in introductory courses that encompass a broad range of material and are geared toward a wide range of student interests and backgrounds (Montgomery, Brown, and Deery 1997). Instructors have an especially important obligation in American politics courses to encourage the development of students as active citizens in American democracy who can think critically about political issues and processes (Westheimer and Kahne 2004). Other than the pedagogical advantages of hands-on learning, activities that involve participation by students rather than rel...

Seed-Fill-Shift-Repair: A redistricting heuristic for civic deliberation

“…Finally, the Cyan party, with 30 precincts, represents the majority of the population. Although this is a highly stylized representation, the principles that can be illustrated with it are quite realistic and are widely realized [15][16][17]. Fifty voting precincts are to be apportioned into ten contiguous districts.…”

Simulating Redistricting in the Classroom: A Binding Arbitration Decision Game Using Louisiana Census Data

“…Doherty and Ryan (2014) reported that students generally adopt one of three strategies: (1) draw as many "cracked"-up districts as possible; (2) draw as many "packed" districts as possible; or (3) draw geographically compact districts. In their presentations, the groups generally used approach (1) or (2) in the map designs for their clients.…”

“…We aimed for the students to appreciate (1) the complexity of real-world tasks such as redistricting-including balancing competing values in their map designs (Cain 1984); and (2) how strategic decisions related to drawing districts can influence other aspects of the map-drawing process, including protection of incumbents, political parties, and racial groups. We incorporated a stylized redistricting simulation (Doherty and Ryan 2014) into our courses before this game and fit that exposition into a larger discussion of the redistricting concept.…”

“…We aimed for the students to appreciate (1) the complexity of real-world tasks such as redistricting—including balancing competing values in their map designs (Cain 1984); and (2) how strategic decisions related to drawing districts can influence other aspects of the map-drawing process, including protection of incumbents, political parties, and racial groups. We incorporated a stylized redistricting simulation (Doherty and Ryan 2014) into our courses before this game and fit that exposition into a larger discussion of the redistricting concept.We set two goals in the design of this simulation. We aimed for the students to appreciate (1) the complexity of real-world tasks such as redistricting—including balancing competing values in their map designs (Cain 1984); and (2) how strategic decisions related to drawing districts can influence other aspects of the map-drawing process, including protection of incumbents, political parties, and racial groups.…”

“…Students were required to submit their district plans and related documents and to prepare an oral presentation describing their plan without seeing those proposed by other groups. Doherty and Ryan (2014) reported that students generally adopt one of three strategies: (1) draw as many “cracked”-up districts as possible; (2) draw as many “packed” districts as possible; or (3) draw geographically compact districts. In their presentations, the groups generally used approach (1) or (2) in the map designs for their clients.…”