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Static Ambition in a Changing World: Legislators' Preparations for, and Responses to, Redistricting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Robert G. Boatright
Robert G. Boatright*
Affiliation:
Clark University
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Abstract

How do members of Congress anticipate and prepare for redistricting? I present data from the 1992 redistricting cycle that indicate that one reason why we rarely see changes in representation after redistricting is that incumbents change both their legislative activities and their campaigning prior to the first post-redistricting election. To examine incumbents' behavioral anticipation of redistricting in more detail, I also present a case study of incumbents' activities prior to the 1998 court-ordered congressional redistricting in North Carolina. I find that these incumbents participated actively in the redistricting process and made behavioral adjustments before they began to represent their new districts officially. These types of adjustments were often subtle, including changes in casework, local projects, and the allocation of staff and campaign resources.

Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 4 , Issue 4 , Winter 2004 , pp. 436 - 454
Copyright
Copyright © Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

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References

Appendix: Interviews Conducted for the North Carolina Case Study

Dwyer, Julie, Chief of Staff to Representative Bob Etheridge (NC-2). August 1, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Downs, Glen, Chief of Staff to Representative Walter B. Jones, Jr. (NC-3). July 24, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Moore, Billy, Chief of Staff to Representative David Price (NC-4). July 27, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Hans, Peter, Chief of Staff to Representative Richard M. Burr (NC-5). August 1, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
McDonald, Ed, Chief of Staff to Representative Howard Coble (NC-6). July 27, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Mitchell, Dean, Chief of Staff to Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-7). August 3, 2000, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Luckadoo, Tommy, District Director to Representative Cass Ballenger (NC-10). By telephone July 31, 2000, Hickory, NC.Google Scholar

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