Identity, voting rights, and remapping of political representation: A case study of New York City's 1991 redistricting.
Item
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Title
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Identity, voting rights, and remapping of political representation: A case study of New York City's 1991 redistricting.
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Identifier
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AAI9959209
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identifier
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9959209
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Creator
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Minnite, Lorraine Carol.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Marilyn Gittell
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Political Science, General | History, United States
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Abstract
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This study addresses questions about the relationship between law and politics, and argues that on matters of political equality the judicial process must be seen as part of the larger political process. After reviewing the historical and legal origins of a theory of political representation in the U.S., the study assesses the intersections of theory and practice in a recent case of local redistricting in New York City. In understanding how historical ideas and legal institutions influence and constrain contemporary politics, the role of the Supreme Court as an innovator of a modern rights-based theory of representation is emphasized. The Court's theory of representation is at the heart of conflict over legislative redistricting.;The New York City case is an excellent one for studying the intersection of law and politics because it squarely places law at the center of what was a highly-charged political event. Moreover, New York, like other complicated and diverse centers of population, challenges the prevailing legal regime's approach to representation. Although minority representation in the New York City Council expanded overall through redistricting in 1991, the case highlights the limitations of districting solutions to problems of representation. Under the laws controlling reapportionment and districting, especially the mandates of the federal Voting Rights Act, the problem of inter-group conflict among 'protected' classes presents a new dilemma for voting rights doctrine. While the level of minority representation increased, intergroup relations among minorities in New York, especially blacks and Latinos, were strained by the redistricting process. In one case examined in detail, traditional neighborhood boundaries were breached and a multi-racial coalition thwarted by the redistricting process. On the other hand, the New York City case also suggests possible strategies for a way out of the Court's newly restrictive interpretation of voting rights and vote dilution criteria. The ability of the gay and lesbian community in New York to show evidence of community cohesion through means other than "hard" population statistics is a precedent the Court has indicated may satisfy its post-Shaw approach.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
