It’s a puzzler: In two of the last five presidential races, Democrats won more total votes than Republicans but lost the election. In states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, Democrats can sweep statewide offices but not control the legislature. Some partisans blame gerrymandering. Political scientist Jonathan Rodden identifies another important factor. In his book Why Cities Lose, the Stanford professor and Hoover Institution senior fellow identifies factors dating back to the late 19th century. Mitch Kokai chats with Rodden about his research.