Democrats dominated the House of Representatives for much of the 20th century but in 1994 that dominance was reversed in the so-called Republican Revolution.
Since then, Republicans have controlled congress more often than not and occasionally even without majority support from voters.
Three key factors have played a role, partisan realignment among the states, especially the shift from Democrat to Republican in the greater south, the nationalization of U.S. politics and a good bit of gerrymandering, that is drawing congressional district lines that favor one party over the other.
We take a bird’s eye view of the makeup of the U.S. House over the past three decades and what that portends going forward.
Guests:
- Nathaniel Rakich, senior elections analyst at FiveThirtyEight
- Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball at University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of The Long Red Thread: How Democratic Dominance Gave Way to Republican Advantage in US House Elections
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