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Americans Don’t Trust Their Congressional Maps to be Drawn Fairly. Can Anything Change That?

Published by USC Bedrosian Center on

FiveThirtyEight quoted redistricting research co-authored by Christian Grose. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that when California voters were told the state uses independent commissions (which it does) and the process was explained to them, 73% of respondents thought the process was fair. But when they were told the state legislature draws the lines (which it doesn’t) just 32% thought the process was fair.

“[T]he ability to explain to voters how [commissions] actually work might improve their perceptions of trust, and it definitely improves their perceptions of fairness.”

Bedrosian Center