From Legal Theory to Practical Application: A How-To for Performing Vote Dilution Analyses*

Autor: Thomas M. Bryan, Peter A. Morrison, M. V. Hood
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Social Science Quarterly. 99:536-552
ISSN: 0038-4941
DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12405
Popis: Objectives The Supreme Court opinion in Thornburg v. Gingles three decades ago established a three-prong test whereby a vote dilution claim can be substantiated. This article provides practitioners and social scientists with a working understanding of the operational steps involved in analyzing a vote dilution claim. Methods A brief primer is offered on how to translate the Gingles preconditions into a set of practical, real-world tests. At each stage, we buttress these explanations with examples from actual court proceedings. Results This primer furnishes readers with the basic knowledge necessary to carry out a vote dilution analysis under the current legal standard. Conclusion While the generic process for conducting a test of vote dilution has been well-defined by decades of case law, practitioners should be mindful that some aspects of these procedures will continue to be affected by future court proceedings.
Databáze: OpenAIRE