The Math Behind Gerrymandering, Fair Representation, and Politics with Karen Saxe

Mathematics quietly shapes some of the most important decisions in public life, from redistricting and congressional apportionment to federal research funding and AI policy. In this episode, Autumn and Noah speak with Dr. Karen Saxe, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the American Mathematical Society, about how mathematical ideas influence representation, fairness, education, and the future of research. From gerrymandering and geometric compactness to life inside the U.S. Senate and the growing policy debates around AI, Karen reveals how deeply math is woven into the systems that govern everyday life. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Conversation 01:15 The Hot Tea in DC 01:24 Gerrymandering and Mathematics 03:42 Understanding Gerrymandering and Redistricting 08:07 The Role of Mathematicians in Politics 12:19 Experiences in the Senate with Al Franken 19:32 Government Relations and the Role of Mathematics 23:01 The Impact of AI on Mathematics and Policy 28:41 Community Readiness for AI Transformations 29:22 Diversity in Education and Its Challenges 29:40 Bridging Mathematics and Politics 29:58 Career Pathways: Academia to Policy Follow Karen Saxe on LinkedIn ( ) Website ( ) Follow Breaking Math on Substack ( ) Twitter ( ) Instagram ( ) Bluesky ( ) Website ( ) YouTube ( ) Follow Noah on Instagram ( ) Twitter ( ) Bluesky ( ) Follow Autumn on Twitter ( ) Bluesky ( ) Instagram ( ) Substack ( ) email: breakingmathpodcast@gmail.com

You can listen to The Math Behind Gerrymandering, Fair Representation, and Politics with Karen Saxe online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Math Behind Gerrymandering, Fair Representation, and Politics with Karen Saxe is an episode from Breaking Math Podcast by Autumn Phaneuf & Noah Giansiracusa.

This episode is 35:18 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Breaking Math Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.