Jigsaw Puzzle Politics in the Sunshine State (Florida Government and Politics)

“The most complete and inventive examination of redistricting in the political science literature. This book shows again that the political laboratory known as the state of Florida combines politics and legislative outcomes like few other states.”—Matthew Corrigan, author of Conservative Hurricane “Political science at its best. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the politics of redistricting in the Sunshine State. It will be the definitive source to inform discussion on the topic.”—Jonathan Knuckey, University of Central Florida Redrawing district lines is arguably the most polarizing of political activities in the United States today. As technological developments permit more and more sophisticated statistical analyses, those in charge of the process are more tempted to gerrymander districts for their own future benefit. At the same time, as this data is made available to the public, litigation and calls for transparency intensify. As a bellwether state, Florida offers a unique and fascinating case study to assess the various effects of redistricting. The contributors to this volume examine the issue from the perspectives of both politicians and voters, exploring the process of redistricting in the wake of major reforms. They examine new and ongoing controversies by focusing on the massive 2012 boundary changes throughout the state—and the judicial review that continued to call into question their legality on the eve of the 2014 elections. “The most complete and inventive examination of redistricting in the political science literature. This book shows again that the political laboratory known as the state of Florida combines politics and legislative outcomes like few other states.”—Matthew Corrigan, author of __Conservative Hurricane__ “Political science at its best. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the politics of redistricting in the Sunshine State. It will be the definitive source to inform discussion on the topic.”—Jonathan Knuckey, University of Central Florida Redrawing district lines is arguably the most polarizing of political activities in the United States today. As technological developments permit more and more sophisticated statistical analyses, those in charge of the process are more tempted to gerrymander districts for their own future benefit. At the same time, as this data is made available to the public, litigation and calls for transparency intensify. As a bellwether state, Florida offers a unique and fascinating case study to assess the various effects of redistricting. The contributors to this volume examine the issue from the perspectives of both politicians and voters, exploring the process of redistricting in the wake of major reforms. They examine new and ongoing controversies by focusing on the massive 2012 boundary changes throughout the state—and the judicial review that continued to call into question their legality on the eve of the 2014 elections. Redrawing district lines is arguably the most polarizing of political activities in the United States today. As technological developments permit more and more sophisticated statistical analyses, those in charge of the process are more tempted to gerrymander districts for their own future benefit. At the same time, as this data is made available to the public, litigation and calls for transparency intensify.As a bellwether state, Florida offers a unique and fascinating case study to examine the various effects of redistricting. The contributors to this volume examine the issue from the perspectives of both politicians and voters, exploring the process of redistricting as well as the homogenization of districts. They examine new and ongoing controversies, including the creation of disparate pockets of opponents'voting blocs, by focusing on the massive 2012 boundary changes throughout the state--and the judicial review that called into question their legality on the eve of the 2014 elections. As a bellwether state, Florida's experiences with redistricting in 2012 highlight issues, debates, and disputes of nationwide interest. In this collection, Seth McKee gathers essays from distinguished contributors to assess recurring problems in Florida's redistricting as well as new controversies