Social Science Expert Witness Testimony in Voting Rights Cases

This chapter discusses the collaborative product by four experienced expert witnesses in voting rights litigation. Two are a political scientist—one who testifies primarily about the results of quantitative inquiries and the other about qualitative inquiries. The chapter outlines the demographic analyses that have been used to address these areas in the past. It addresses the issues and complications that arise from the fact that the 2010 Census was the first to be conducted under a new procedure that relies upon statistical sampling and cumulating data over several years. Social scientists from multiple disciplines play a major role in developing evidence in court cases concerning minority voting rights in the United States. Political scientists are used extensively in voting right cases, especially when they involve allegations of minority vote dilution. Evidence gathered through Qualitative Methods is used in conjunction with quantitative and demographic analyses by social science.