Abolish Gerrrymandering

Bill


I am in fact strongly in favor of abolishing gerrymandering entirely, and have been for as long as I can remember understanding what it is. The problem for me is not that gerrymandering benefits Democrats or Republican since both sides, as you point out, do it. The problem is that it benefits incumbents. It turns democracy on its head, allowing legislators to pick their own votes, and diminishes the power of voters to remove them from office. Most damaging in my opinion, it increases polarization (on both sides). and limits the potential for compromise.


The Colorado reform law and similar laws in Arizona, Utah and elsewhere, doesn't rely on a panel of experts to draw districts. It relies on a mixture or Democrats, Republicans and Independents (to insure that  Dems and Repubs don't collude together). The law emerged after an endless series of bitter fights resolved only after the courts intervened. One analysis suggests that the Colorado law will likely erode the Democratic advantage in the legislature. As far as minority-majority districts created under the Voting Rights act, it can be argued that under many circumstances they dilute the power of minority voters by packing them into gerrymandered districts.


Eli