Democratic Representation in District-Based Electoral       Systems:  A Stochastic Model of Legislative Redistricting
{'Code': '04050200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'SBE', 'LongName': 'Direct For Social, Behav & Economic Scie'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'SES', 'LongName': 'Divn Of Social and Economic Sciences'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Frank P. Scioli  Jr.', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
The research for this project is building and testing a general                 model of political representation in district.based electoral                   systems.  Unlike concepts such as "equality" and "liberty,"                     "representation," though also a key component of democratic                     theory, can only be defined in the context of a specific                        constitutional structure.  Although the form of representation is               controlled by statute in systems with proportional, or at large,                election of legislatures, the consequences of the American                      winner.take.all, district.based electoral system are less                       understood.                                                                                                                                                     The research is organized into four phases.  The first phase is                 directed at resolving a fundamental confusion in the literature                 between the concepts of representation and bias.  In the second                 phase of analysis, using techniques of probabilistic modeling and               statistical analyses, the research will address how the                         distribution of voter preferences across districts determines the               aggregate levels of bias and representation in each state.  This                stage is aimed at uncovering a potential paradox:  redistricting                and even intentional gerrymandering may have effects in predicted               directions, but these effects are short.lived. Research indicates               that a decade of dynamic partisan swings and patterns of voting                 for incumbents affects representation and bias substantially more               than the legerdemain of any political cartographer.                                                                                                             The third phase of the research program examines how particular                 geographically arranged clusters of voters within a state                       influence the distribution of voter preferences across districts,               and hence, the aggregate levels of representation and bias.  This               phase allows the researcher to assess the effects of the numerous               constraints state constitutions and lawmakers impose on                         gerrymanderers, such as compactness and limitations on splitting                counties and municipalities between districts.  Racial and other                group biases can also be assessed in this stage.                                                                                                                The final phase of the research employs a stochastic model and                  empirical analysis at the level of the individual voter to                      explore what factors determine geographic voter configurations.                 These factors take on added importance insofar as they influence                the distribution of preferences across districts, and, hence, the               aggregate levels of bias and representation.  As classical                      theories of representation usually refer to individuals, this                   will make it possible to unify these theories with the literature               on legislative redistricting.
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{'Name': 'Harvard University', 'CityName': 'CAMBRIDGE', 'ZipCode': '021385366', 'PhoneNumber': '6174955501', 'StreetAddress': '1033 MASSACHUSETTS AVE STE 3', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Massachusetts', 'StateCode': 'MA', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '05', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'MA05', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'LN53LCFJFL45', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '1371', 'Text': 'Political Science'}
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