The Boundary Problem and the Changing Case Against Deference in Election Law Cases: Lessons from Local Government Law

Abstract

Abstract This essay for the 2016 AALS Section on Election Law Program, “Election Law at the Local Level,” applies lessons from local government law to election law problems. Both local government and international law scholars discuss something sometimes called the “boundary problem.” A simple belief in democracy or self-determination—or the decision of some group of voters—cannot provide much guidance about what the boundaries of a city, state, or nation should be. Before a geographically bounded group of voters can decide its own boundaries, who comprises the relevant group must itself be determined. Any such choice will exclude some people who claim an interest in the decision. The group of deciders cannot be determined democratically, as a vote to decide who decides would face the same problem. Some value other than self-determination must be introduced to determine who decides before any boundaries can be set. The implication is that any city, state, or country's decision about its own boundaries is ...