Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effect of Redistricting on "Pork" Project Allocation and Constituency Service in the U.S. Congress

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

What is the effect of redistricting and constituency change on distributive policy making and constituency service in Congress? This Doctoral Dissertation Research project answers this question. Scholars have for some time been interested in both the normative implications of and the empirical effects of racial and other types of redistricting on congressional representation and public policy, though the limitation of nearly every one of these past empirical studies is that only roll-call voting behavior is explained. By looking at representatives' roll-call voting, researchers have neglected other important forms of institutional behavior in Congress and behavior that occurs in the district. The dependent variables analyzed in this proposal look at these other forms of congressional participation and activity. The dissertation consists of two main parts. In the first part, the effect of redistricting on "pork" project allocation is considered. Methodologically, the analysis for this first part relies primarily upon quantitative analysis of all U.S. congressional districts from 1983-1998, utilizing a data set of federal project allocations. This quantitative analysis is also supplemented with qualitative interviews of congressional staff. In the second part of the study, the effect of redistricting on constituency service in analyzed. This relies on a mix of both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, though most heavily on field research in the southern United States. The Dissertation Research Support investigation has its major objective not only to make a contribution to the literature on minority representation, but also to contribute to a greater understanding of the interplay between electoral institutions, congressional representation, and the voting behavior of constituents. The data and information collected will be provided to the scholarly community at large.