12-24-2025, 03:51 PM
I'm a political science student working on a thesis about the evolution of gerrymandering tactics in the United States following the last census and redistricting cycle. I'm trying to analyze specific state maps, like those in North Carolina and Wisconsin, to understand how modern data analytics and partisan intent have created districts that seem to defy traditional compactness and community integrity principles. For others studying this issue, what are the most reliable non-partisan sources for obtaining and comparing district shapefiles and demographic data over time, and what software or methodologies do you recommend for quantitatively measuring partisan bias and geographic irregularity in a way that holds up to academic scrutiny?