This course explores the history and legal evolution of legislative redistricting – and its evil twin gerrymandering – in the United States from the early republic to today. Session 1 covers the basics of what gerrymandering is, who does it, and how it works, with some striking examples.

In Session 2 we examine major Supreme Court cases on redistricting, including the “one person, one vote” mandate, the racial cases that resulted in “majority-minority” districts and the failure to address partisan gerrymandering.

Session 3 looks at the impact of gerrymandering on voting laws, voters and polarization. We will focus in particular on Operation REDMAP, by which the Republican Party catapulted from its big win in the 2010 midterm elections to gerrymandering dominance in 26 states that survives to this day. We will also cover the gerrymandering war launched by the Trump administration to maintain Republican control of Congress in the 2026 midterms. Students will have an opportunity to forecast who will win that war and by how much. We will know the full election results either by Session 4 or 5.

Sessions 4 and 5 will evaluate alternative approaches, including independent commissions, redistricting practices in other countries and measures imposed by state supreme courts. Finally, we grapple with this question: If we could enact a law to prevent or at least constrain gerrymandering, what would it look like?