Congressional redistricting is required in the U.S. Constitution, and the variation called gerrymandering, significantly impact the conduct of American government. This presentation discusses the process and examines the history and the evolution of the process. Today like most issues it has become highly partisan. Discussion concentrates on how the term “gerrymandering” took on that unique name and discusses recent cases regulating, or here lately, “unregulating” it. This is a timely discussion as 2020 is the year when the census is done on which the reapportionment state legislatures and the U.S. House are done.
Dr. Mallard is an assistant professor of political science and public affairs at Savannah State University. He is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and holds a BA degree in political science from George Peabody College, MPA degree in Public Administration from Middle Tennessee State University and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Tennessee. He taught for many years at Tennessee State University in Nashville and prior to coming to SSU taught political science at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Since 1980 he has been a consultant to the news media on election night and currently works, together with his wife Kristi, for The Associated Press analyzing the vote on election night from five states. He has served as a volunteer with the Savannah Chapter of the American Red Cross teaching civics for students studying for the US Citizenship test. His daughter, Emily, is a physical therapy assistant in Birmingham, Alabama.
