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Ari Berman: The GOP’s Redistricting Campaign Is Turning the South Red

How a Republican strategy to control politics on a local level affects the entire nation—politically, socially and beyond.

The Nation

February 2, 2012

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How a Republican strategy to control politics on a local level affects the entire nation—politically, socially and beyond.

Throughout the South, Republicans are taking advantage of the state legislative control they gained in 2010 to redraw districts in a way that dilutes the power of the Democratic vote. But what’s most disturbing about this redistricting push is the fact that districts are being redrawn along racial lines, threatening to undo a decades-long integration process in a region with a long and brutal history of racial segregation.

In this episode of Nation ConversationsThe Nation‘s Roane Carey sits down with writer Ari Berman to discuss his piece in this week’s issue, How the GOP Is Resegregating the South. While the redistricting is taking place on the local level, its impact can be felt all the way up on a national level and could affect this year’s presidential elections, especially in swing states, Berman points out.

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—Elizabeth Whitman

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