Race, Ethnicity, and the Politics of City Redistricting

Joshua G. Behr

Description

Why do cities with similar minority populations vary greatly in the adoption of minority-opportunity districts and, by extension, differ in the number of elected Hispanic and black representatives? Through in-depth research of the districting processes of more than 100 cities, Race, Ethnicity, and the Politics of City Redistricting provides the first nationwide study of minority-opportunity districts at the local level. Joshua G. Behr explores the motives of the players involved, including incumbent legislators, Department of Justice officials, and organized interests, while investigating the roles that segregation, federal oversight, litigation, partisan elections, and resource disparity, among others, play in the election of Hispanics and blacks. Behr's book documents—for both theorists and practitioners—the necessary conditions for enhancing minority-opportunity districts at the local level.

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments

1. The City: Stepchild of Redistricting Controversies

2. Making the Connection: The Links among System Aptitude, Minority-Opportunity Districts, and the Election of Hispanics and Blacks

3. Players in the Politics of "Selling" Minority-Opportunity Districts: Self-Serving Incumbents, the Feds, and Organized Interests

4. The Design: Review of Hypothesized Relationships, Data Sources, and Measurement of Variables

5. The Adoption of Hispanic and Black Minority-Opportunity Districts: Model Testing and Findings

6. The Election of Hispanic and Black Descriptive Representatives: Model Testing and Findings

7. Conclusion: The Meaning of Meaningful Electoral Opportunity

Appendix A: Survey Design and Sample Questionnaires

Appendix B: Cities Surveyed

Appendix C: Cases Cited

Appendix D: Operational Definition of Region

Notes

Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• Region
• Regional
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791485491
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Joshua G.Behr

RACE, ETHNICITY, AND THE POLITICS OF CITY REDISTRICTING

MinorityOpportunity Districts and the Election of Hispanics and Blacks to City Councils

R ACE , E THNICITY , AND THE P OLITICS OF C ITY R EDISTRICTING

SUNY SERIES IN

A FRICAN A MERICAN S TUDIES

J OHN R. H OWARD AND R OBERT C. S MITH , EDITORS

RACE, ETHNICITY, AND THE POLITICS OF CITY REDISTRICTING

M INORITY O PPORTUNITY D ISTRICTS AND THE E LECTION OF H ISPANICS AND B LACKS TO C ITY C OUNCILS

J o s h u a G . B e h r

State University of New York Press

Published by S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W Y O R K P R E S S , A LBANY

© 2004 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other wise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production, Laurie Searl Marketing, Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Behr, Joshua G., 1967– Race, ethnicity, and the politics of city redistricting : minorityopportunity districts and the election of Hispanics and Blacks to city councils / Joshua G. Behr. p. cm. — (SUNY series in African American studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0791459950 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0791459969 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. City council members—United States. 2. Local elections—United States. 3. Apportionment (Election Law)—United States. 4. Gerrymandering—United States. 5. African American legislatures. 6. Hispanic American legislators. I. Title. II. Series.

JS371.B44 2004 320.8'5'08900973—dc22

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

2003060635

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

C o n t e n t s

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments

The City: Stepchild of Redistricting Controversies

Making the Connection: The Links among System Aptitude, MinorityOpportunity Districts, and the Election of Hispanics and Blacks

Players in the Politics of “Selling” MinorityOpportunity Districts: SelfServing Incumbents, the Feds, and Organized Interests

The Design: Review of Hypothesized Relationships, Data Sources, and Measurement of Variables

The Adoption of Hispanic and Black Minority Opportunity Districts: Model Testing and Findings

The Election of Hispanic and Black Descriptive Representatives: Model Testing and Findings

Conclusion: The Meaning of Meaningful Electoral Opportunity

Appendix A: Survey Design and Sample Questionnaires

Appendix B: Cities Surveyed

vii

xi

1

7

15

39

51

77

97

113

119

v i

R a c e , E t h n i c i t y, a n d t h e P o l i t i c s o f C i t y R e d i s t r i c t i n g

Appendix C: Cases Cited

Appendix D: Operational Definition of Region

Notes

Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index

121

123

125

135

151

155

2.1

3.1

3.2

3.3

4.1 5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

T a b l e s a n d F i g u r e s

T A B L E S Relationship between number of seats and percentage share of districts that are minorityopportunity based on 15 percent minority population Political sensitivity of constructing a single minorityopportunity district based on residential segregation and number of coun cil seats Incumbency and level of representation as an explanation for the expansion in percent of minority districts Variation in the absolute number of council districts as an expla nation for incumbent support of additional minority districts Variables and data sources Number of cities examined, theoretical maximal number of dis tricts, and actual number of districts adopted by minority sta tus and by votingage population threshold Proportion of a city’s districts that may be theoretically minority opportunity and proportion of a city’s districts that are actual ly minorityopportunity by minority status and votingage population threshold

Regression coefficient estimates for the relationship between sys tem aptitude and the presence of minorityopportunity dis tricts by minority status and votingage population threshold Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable polit ical tenability on the first general relationship Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable vested advocacy on the first general relationship

v i i

1

1

2

0

9

5

26 45

5

5

5

6

6

2

5

7

0

4

v i i i

R a c e , E t h n i c i t y, a n d t h e P o l i t i c s o f C i t y R e d i s t r i c t i n g

5.6 Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable divest ed advocacy on the first general relationship 5.7 Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable pre clearance on the first general relationship 5.8 Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable court intervention on the first general relationship 6.1 Number of cities examined, number of districts that have been adopted as minorityopportunity, and number of elected minority officials by minority status, votingage population threshold, and election 6.2a Proportion of a city’s districts that have been adopted as Hispanic minorityopportunity and proportion of a city’s council that is Hispanic by votingage population threshold and election 6.2b Proportion of a city’s districts that have been adopted as black minorityopportunity and proportion of a city’s council that is black by votingage population threshold and election

6.3

6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7

7.1

7.2

Regression coefficient estimates for the election of Hispanics during the three elections following the 1990 round of redis tricting by VAP threshold

Regression coefficient estimates for the election of blacks during the three elections following the 1990 round of redistricting by VAP threshold

Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable resource disparity on the second general relationship for the three elections subsequent to the 1990 round of redistricting

Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable parti san elections on the second general relationship for the three elections subsequent to the 1990 round of redistricting

Regression coefficient estimates of the specifying variable district population density on the second general relationship for the three elections subsequent to the 1990 round of redistricting Summary of findings for variables conditioning the first general relationship Summary of findings for variables conditioning the second gen eral relationship

68

72

74

78

80

81

83

85

86

92

94

101

103

2.1

3.1

4.1 7.1

7.2

7.3

7.4

T a b l e s a n d F i g u r e s i x

F I G U R E S Maximal percentage of all districts that may be constructed as minorityopportunity provided number of districts and pe centage black citywide population Residential segregation and minimum size of minority popula tion necessary to construct a tenable minorityopportunity district Illustration of hypothesized relationships Probability of electing a districted Hispanic council member based on the percentage of the district’s residents that are of Hispanic votingage Probability of electing a districted black council member based on the percentage of the district’s residents that are of black votingage Percent black population and percent districted seats with black representatives by all cities in study and by region

Percent Hispanic population and percent districted seats with Hispanic representatives by all cities in study and by region

12

21 42

105

106

107

108