12th Annual State Politics and Policy Conference

“Representation in the States: A Fifty-Year Retrospective on the Impact of Baker vs. Carr”

The Harlan Program in State Elections, Campaigns and Politics at Rice University and the Department of Political Science at the University of Houston hosted the 12th Annual State Politics and Policy Conference in Houston, Texas on February 16 – February 18, 2012.

The 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Baker vs. Carr took place in 2012. That decision and subsequent cases fundamentally altered the nature of political representation in America. Most scholars would agree that few aspects of state politics are more controversial than the redistricting process that occurs for federal and state offices every 10 years. In 2012, the first state elections using districts drawn with data from the 2010 Census were conducted. February 2012 is an ideal year to evaluate the nature of the redistricting plans as well as the possible electoral effects.  The conference panels dealt with all aspects of state politics, but several key panels focused on redistricting.

To see highlights, conference papers, and a conference program from the 2012 State Politics and Policy Conference, click here.