| Abstract: | We look at the most general feature of multimember districts (MMDs) as compared to single-member districting (SMD) plans:
the higher likelihood of submergence of minority voting strength. We focus on data on black legislative representation between
1977 and 1982 in the 11 states with more than 15% black populations, and compare states which use MMDs with those that use
SMDs. We also examine changes in black representation in states which shifted from MMDs to SMDs. In addition, for MMD state
legislative elections in eight North Carolina counties between 1978 and 1982, we examine in detail the nature of minority
submergence including the lack of geographic representativity of the persons elected from MMDs. The counties we examine contain
four of North Carolina’s largest cities and a substantial portion of North Carolina’s black population. Unlike almost all
of the previously published literature on racial representation in MMDs, our study deals with state legislative races and
not local elections. |
