Episode

Gerrymania

Podcast
Stubborn Things
Published
Dec 3, 2025
Duration seconds
3370
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://stubborn-things.captivate.fm
Audio
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/db9242d0-067b-4392-b678-a90d48207d15.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/stubborn-things-7595522/episodes/gerrymania
Markdown
/podcast/stubborn-things-7595522/gerrymania.md

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Summary

In the very first episode of Stubborn Things, Jay Cost and Sean Trende kick off with a deep dive into gerrymandering. This year alone, 10 states have redistricted or are in the process of doing so, often with overt partisan aims. In a statewide election last month, California approved a new congressional map to favor Democrats. In September, the governor of Missouri signed that state's new map — passed by a state house and senate featuring supermajority Republican control — into law, a move that is projected to boost Republican candidates. And over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the President referred to Indiana Republicans who (at least initially) resisted the pressure to gerrymander as "RINOs" and called for them to be primaried. To unpack all of this and more, Cost and Trende explore the origins of gerrymandering and connect the historical, partisan, and legal dots that make up the story of American congressional redistricting.