Political redistricting: A review

The political redistricting problem can be viewed as one of dividing an area into relatively equally populated districts which are compact and contiguous, while preserving existing political and community ties, and providing proportional representation for minorities. Several disciplines have contributed to the literature of political redistricting theory and practice. This paper reviews that subset of the literature which deals with methods for creating districting plans. Emphasis is placed on the demographic, geographic and political criteria used in districting, and on the methodological features of computer districting algorithms.