The Economic Impact of Gerrymandering - Big Take

[SouthBayDem]

May 20, 2026 The Big Take (Audio)
For months, Democrats and Republicans have been locked in a fierce battle over the way districts are drawn across the US. As both parties try to gain an edge ahead of midterms in November, efforts to redistrict could reshape Congress in the final two years of Trump’s second term — and regional economies for decades to come.
On today’s Big Take podcast, guest host Stacey Vanek Smith hears from Virginia Democratic Representative Don Beyer, economist Julianne Malveaux and Bloomberg’s Greg Giroux about how the race to redistrict America could affect everything from representation to economics.

Full transcript

And for some side research inspired by the redistricting debate, I've been looking at historical Congressional maps, like these in Louisiana dating back to 1973. A UCLA political science professor posted every House district map since the nation's founding, including this Louisiana map from the 63rd to 90th Congresses (1913-1969).

In older Louisiana maps as late as the 2000s, it was a lot easier to figure out which district corresponds to which metro area (Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, etc.) But what puzzles me about the 2020s-present maps is the malicious compliance with court rulings, like drawing a district stretching 200+ miles from Shreveport to Baton Rouge. How does THAT give constituents proper congressional representation?