The Definition of Parliamentary Constituencies in England: searching for principles in the work of the Boundary Commission for England

Russell, Andrew; Pattie, Charles; Johnston, R. McKenzie; Rossiter, David

doi:10.1332/030557394782453573

Cited by 2 publications

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“…In fact, it is possible to make this claim even more broadly-Forest to argue that the conflict between efficient administration ("an arithmetic principle") and local geographic ties ("an organic principle") is inherent to democratic representation itself (Johnston, Pattie, and Rossiter 1996, 337-38). The definition of electoral boundaries in England, for example, shares a number of similarities with the American process, including the need to create territorial constituencies while reconciling several vague and contradictory principles (Johnston et al 1994). The American case is distinctive, however, because courts often decide these questions of political representation.…”

Section: Redistricting Race and National Citizenship: New Boundariementioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Democracy: Racial Identity and the Quandary of Political Representation

Forest

2001

Annals of the Association of American Geographers

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In a series of lawsuits during the 1990s, federal courts in the United States rejected congressional election districts that had both extremely irregular boundaries and nonwhite majorities. In particular, courts ruled that the shape of these districts-which they characterized as "bizarre" and noncompact-demonstrated that states had unconstitutionally classified voters by race. These legal cases reflect a fundamental tension in American political culture between universalistic citizenship and particularistic racial identity. Universalistic concepts that embrace numeric political representation, geometric standards of shape, and the "liberal self " share an understanding of the individual as the basic unit of political representation and define this individual by the ability to make rational choices. In contrast, concepts of particularistic identity that emphasize the importance of "regional community representation," informal visual standards of shape, and place-based or regional attachments view communities as the basic unit of political representation, and believe that individual identity is primarily constituted by membership in communities. Although some participants in the redistricting litigation have advocated notions of community based on racial solidarity, federal courts have only recognized such claims to the extent that these communities are defined by regional attachments. This suggests that the importance of regional attachments remains firmly entrenched in the American political system, despite the ascendance of "placeless" numeric representation. Notwithstanding the impassioned rhetoric on both sides, the effect of these cases is ambiguous for two reasons. First, the creation of nonwhite majority districts is a problematic strategy of political empowerment; second, the decisions do not directly address the underlying issues of segregation and racial inequality.

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Section: Redistricting Race and National Citizenship: New Boundariementioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Democracy: Racial Identity and the Quandary of Political Representation

Forest

2001

Annals of the Association of American Geographers

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A Change in the Rules and a Change in the Outcomes? An Evaluation of the Work of the Boundary Commission for England in its Third and Fourth Periodic Reviews

Johnston

Rossiter

Pattie

1996

Environ Plann C Gov Policy

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The rules under which the UK Boundary Commissions operate are imprecise in their wording. An attempt to achieve greater precision through the courts in 1982–83, after the Commissions had completed their Third Periodic Review of all constituencies, produced exactly the opposite outcome with judgements stressing the flexibility which the Commissions are accorded; one aspect of those judgements suggested greater importance for one of the rules (Rule 7) than had previously been assigned to it. The authors compare the outcome of the Third and Fourth Periodic Reviews conducted by the Boundary Commission for England. They find that the major change has been greater attention to electoral equality across all constituencies in the latter of the two—which is exactly what the 1982 court case had sought.

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The Definition of Parliamentary Constituencies in England: searching for principles in the work of the Boundary Commission for England

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Mapping Democracy: Racial Identity and the Quandary of Political Representation

Mapping Democracy: Racial Identity and the Quandary of Political Representation

A Change in the Rules and a Change in the Outcomes? An Evaluation of the Work of the Boundary Commission for England in its Third and Fourth Periodic Reviews

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