Political maps decide who has a voice in government, and who doesn't. And right now, big legal battles in Texas and California are putting redistricting in the spotlight. Professor Michael Latner breaks down the difference between redistricting and gerrymandering, why unfair maps weaken voters' voices, and what today's gerrymandering fights mean for the future of American democracy.

For more on this topic:

• Check out the book Latner co-authored, Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism

• Read his SSN brief: How Election Reforms Could Improve American Democracy

• Read the op-ed he co-wrote in the New York Daily News: How the Supreme Court Made Gerrymandering Worse