Subject: Re: news of the day 10/20/04
From: Rick Hasen
Date: 10/20/2004, 4:05 PM
To: Ed Still
CC: election-law <election-law@majordomo.lls.edu>

the poll is here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/news/politics/state/stories/101104dnmetpoll.21d4dd86.html

some relevant parts:

11. How much do you happen to know about the process of redrawing the boundary lines of
your congressional district last year-a lot, a little, or not much?
A lot 39
A little 34
Not much 24
Not sure 3
12. Everything considered, do you think the way the lines were drawn has resulted in a mostly fair or mostly unfair definition of your congressional district?
Mostly fair 36
Mostly unfair 39
Not sure 25
13. Is it your sense that the way the lines were drawn favors Republicans or Democrats, or neither?
Republicans 52
Democrats 5
Neither 29
Not sure 14

22. Do you consider yourself a Democrat, Republican or Independent? If Independent, do you lean more toward Republican or Democrat?
Democrat 27
Independent, leaning Democrat 8
Independent, leans neither way 14
Independent, leaning Republican 7
Republican 41
Not sure 3


I don't have results correlated with partisanship.  but if this breaks down on partisan lines, it is hard to say there is a social consensus against the practice.
Rick

Ed Still wrote:
But what was the question the poll asked?  How many people know that the CD 32 district lines are arguably gerrymandered?  If they DO know, what's the breakdown of those who say that they are "mostly fair"?  How is that correlated to partisan affiliation?


"Texas Races Come Down to Mean vs. Meaner"



The Hill offers this report. I've been debating with some other election law folks the extent to which there is a social consensus against partisan gerrymandering. Relevant to that debate is this snippet from the article: " A recent Dallas Morning News poll found that 39 percent of respondents in the 32nd District thought the new boundaries are 'mostly unfair,' while 36 percent said they are 'mostly fair.'"



-- 
Professor Rick Hasen
Loyola Law School
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