by College of Urban and Public Affairs
February 8, 2023
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A new system of elections and form of government is taking shape in Portland, with voters approving changes to the city's charter. The Independent District Commission is responsible for establishing four geographic districts for city council elections, helping implement a major transition for Portland's election system and government. This group of 13 community members—who represent a diversity of race, gender, age and geography—is expected to complete its work by September 2023.
Political Science Professor Melody E. Valdini researches the consequences of institutional design, with a particular focus on electoral systems, political parties, and representation. She is the co-editor of the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy; she's been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, Electoral Studies, and Politics & Gender, and is the author of two books: The Character of Democracy: How Institutions Shape Politics (with Richard Clucas) and The Inclusion Calculation: Why Men Appropriate Women's Representation—which garnered the Victoria Schuck Award from the American Political Science Association.
She has published in the (both published by Oxford University Press). In 2020, her most recent book, The Inclusion Calculation, was selected as the winner of , which recognizes the best book published on women and politics in the previous year. She has lived in Portland for sixteen years and spends her free time watching elections around the world, riding bikes with her husband and two daughters, and catering to two demanding cats.