Partisan gerrymandering is a race to the bottom. Yesterday, Virginia voters narrowly approved (51–49) a constitutional amendment letting the state legislature redraw its congressional map through 2030 — bypassing the bipartisan commission voters created just a few years ago.

@benschneer.bsky.social, @cantstopkevin.bsky.social), developed the **Define-Combine Procedure**. We apply the "you cut, I choose" rule to mapmaking. One party divides the state into twice as many equal-population sub-districts as it needs, and then the other party pairs them into final districts.

A drag on the ticket? Estimating top‐of‐the‐ticket effects on down‐ballot races by Kevin DeLuca, Daniel J. Moskowitz, and Benjamin Schneer is now available in Early View. @cantstopkevin.bsky.social @danmoskowitz.bsky.social @benschneer.bsky.social ow.ly/8Hun50XAhmq

In Hawaii, ~40% of voters in the 2024 Pres. election went for Republicans. But Hawaii has no Republican congressional seats. Does this mean its map is a terrible gerrymander? I've noticed a lot of discussions online making points similar to this one. I wrote a post, linked below, on this question.

Are Less Proportional Congressional Maps Also Less Fair?

You may have seen posts online arguing that a state's congressional map is gerrymandered because the number of seats a party wins doesn't match its statewide vote share. The argument goes like this: "...

linkedin.com

Recently did a Q&A/Explainer on the current gerrymandering "wars". Check it out if you are catching up on the fight over gerrymandering in Texas, California and beyond... www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...

Explainer: Understanding the mid-decade redistricting push in Texas

Powerful new techniques and a partisan environment are influencing congressional redistricting by Texas Republicans, Benjamin Schneer explains. Schneer is a faculty member at Harvard Kennedy School.

hks.harvard.edu

Spoke with the Austin American-Statesman and shared some data about the impact of redistricting in Travis County. More than half the people in the county will be reshuffled into new congressional districts and only one of these will remain rooted in Austin. See archive.ph/7DcuX for full article.

How to fix America's gerrymandering problem? @benschneer.bsky.social and I wrote in Time today about a solution we developed (with @cantstopkevin.bsky.social). time.com/7309565/amer...

How to Fix America’s Gerrymandering Problem

As Trump pushes states to redraw districts in favor of Republicans, this solution could help stop gerrymandering.

time.com

I've been thinking through the implications of extreme gerrymandering for several years now. Today I wrote an article in Time that lays out the problem and describes one solution. We think that we need a "partisan" solution to partisan gerrymandering. time.com/7309565/amer...

How to Fix America’s Gerrymandering Problem

As Trump pushes states to redraw districts in favor of Republicans, this solution could help stop gerrymandering.

time.com

Ben Schneer investigates what Texas’s mid-decade redistricting will mean for congressional elections and voter representation. Learn more here ⤵️ www.expressnews.com/opinion/comm...

Republicans are seeking to create a durable gerrymander in Texas

Short-term tactical gains in Texas could ultimately yield a race to the bottom.

expressnews.com

You may have noticed things are happening fast in the world of redistricting… I along with @maxwellpalmer.com and @simko.bsky.social wrote an article last week (though published today) that analyzes the changes to the congressional district map in Texas, and particularly San Antonio.

Republicans are seeking to create a durable gerrymander in Texas

Short-term tactical gains in Texas could ultimately yield a race to the bottom.

expressnews.com

Really enjoyed speaking with Julie Rose on the Top of Mind podcast about the responsiveness of Congress to constituents and congressional petitioning!

Feeling Unheard by Congress? Here's What You Need to Know.

YouTube video by Top of Mind with Julie Rose

youtu.be

#QJE Aug 2025, #14, “‘Descended from Immigrants and Revolutionists:’ How Family History Shapes Immigration Policymaking,” by Feigenbaum (@jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social), Palmer (@maxwellpalmer.com), and Schneer: doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

Please check out the thread and paper @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social, @maxwellpalmer.com, and I wrote below. We started this project a LONG time ago, and could never have anticipated exactly how timely it would be when it finally was published.

Legislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies | USAPP

Recent years have seen dramatic shifts in Americans’ attitudes towards immigration, with a majority now favoring decreasing immigration levels. But in what is often called a “nation of immigrants”, ho...

blogs.lse.ac.uk

James Feigenbaum@jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social · last yr.

Does family history matter to policy making? With @maxwellpalmer.com and @benschneer.bsky.social (forthcoming @qjeharvard.bsky.social), we reconstruct MCs’ ancestry and found that lawmakers with immigrant parents or grandparents consistently vote for more permissive immigration policies 1/X

Legislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies find @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social and @maxwellpalmer.com of @bostonu.bsky.social and Benjamin Schneer of @harvardkennedy.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

Legislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies | USAPP

Recent years have seen dramatic shifts in Americans’ attitudes towards immigration, with a majority now favoring decreasing immigration levels. But in what is often called a “nation of immigrants”, ho...

blogs.lse.ac.uk