| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The 2012 congressional redistricting was the first for which census data and mapmaking software were available to and easily useable by undergraduate students. We discuss our experience teaching the redistricting process to undergraduates and having our students draw constitutionally and statutorily valid congressional districts for Massachusetts. Bringing students into the process is a valuable teaching tool, and it also provides unbiased redistricting scenarios to state legislators and makes the redistricting process more open and transparent. Perhaps contrary to the fears of some legislators, our students placed substantial value on incumbency and the preservation of existing district lines, along with a respect for the traditional redistricting concerns of communities of interest and compactness.
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