GERRYMANDERING THE SLAYING OF AMERICA’S VOTING DRAGON. A Study of Congressional Redistricting in US Elections

Abstract

This Master Thesis through the theoretical construction of depoliticization and public bureaucracy a discussion of US Congressional elections and the role of their redistricting authorities will lead the discussion of keeping the government “above politics”. Through a Qualitative Comparative Case Study of two separate redistricting authorities, coupled with a content analysis of legislative information on redistricting organization, legal cases and interviews with acting attorneys, the thesis will attempt to analyze the process links between redistricting authorities and election results from the 2012 US Congressional Elections. Finally, the thesis will contribute to the literature by shedding light on the nuts and bolts of gerrymandering in redistricting and providing one of the first empirical evaluations of whether delegation to independent commissions provides for more fair elections.