Cite as: 509 U. S. 630 (1993)
WHITE, J., dissenting
U. S. 735, 753 (1973); see also Mobile v. Bolden, supra, at
86-87 (STEVENS, J., concurring in judgment). Because
extirpating such considerations from the redistricting process is unrealistic, the Court has not invalidated all plans
that consciously use race, but rather has looked at their
impact.
Redistricting plans also reflect group interests and inevitably are conceived with partisan aims in mind. To allow
judicial interference whenever this occurs would be to invite
constant and unmanageable intrusion. Moreover, a group's
power to affect the political process does not automatically
dissipate by virtue of an electoral loss. Accordingly, we
have asked that an identifiable group demonstrate more than
mere lack of success at the polls to make out a successful
gerrymandering claim. See, e. g., White v. Regester, 412
U. S. 755, 765-766 (1973); Whitcomb v. Chavis, 403 U. S. 124,
153-155 (1971).
With these considerations in mind, we have limited such
claims by insisting upon a showing that "the political processes ... were not equally open to participation by the group
in question-that its members had less opportunity than did
other residents in the district to participate in the political
processes and to elect legislators of their choice." White v.
Regester, supra, at 766. Indeed, as a brief survey of decisions illustrates, the Court's gerrymandering cases all carry
this theme-that it is not mere suffering at the polls but
discrimination in the polity with which the Constitution is
concerned.
In Whitcomb v. Chavis, 403 U. S., at 149, we searched in
vain for evidence that black voters "had less opportunity
than did other ... residents to participate in the political
processes and to elect legislators of their choice." More
generally, we remarked:
"The mere fact that one interest group or another concerned with the outcome of [the district's] elections has
found itself outvoted and without legislative seats of its
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