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Monday, February 07, 2005

Changing Redistricting

The New York Times:

The politically charged methods that states use to draw Congressional districts are under attack by citizens groups, state legislators and the governor of California, all of whom are concerned that increasingly sophisticated map-drawing has created a class of entrenched incumbents, stifled electoral competition and caused governmental gridlock. Largely uncoordinated campaigns stretching from California to Massachusetts are pushing to end, or at least minimize, a time-honored staple of American politics: lawmakers drawing Congressional and legislative district maps in geographically convoluted ways to ensure the re-election of an incumbent or the dominance of a party. Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, a state that has historically been at the forefront of political reform movements, proposed putting retired judges in charge of redistricting, taking it out of the hands of the Legislature. Common Cause, one of the nonpartisan groups championing changes in the system, said campaigns to overhaul redistricting were under way in at least eight states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Gerrymandering is something that needs to end. Schwarzenegger may well be the man to end it, although this will be far more difficult that defeating evil robots, or even teaching Kindergarten. I also like this bit from the article:
Nathaniel Persily, an election law expert at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, said: "Something has changed. Voter preferences are becoming more and more predictable. There is a problem when the turnover in the United States House of Representatives is lower than it was in the Soviet Politburo."

2 Comments:

Blogger Gib said...

I'd love to see nonpartisan redistricting. But, regrettably, I don't think anyone can put down a tool they can use to their advantage. Kevin Drum posted awhile back that he normally supported redistricting, but had to oppose CA's plan until some comprable red states did the same, since any non-partisan drawing of CA's districts would probably add a couple Republicans.

2/08/2005 05:58:00 AM  
Blogger Dave Justus said...

My bet is that why a number of Republicans might be added in California, they would be moderates rather than extremists and some of the more extreme Republicans would end up with a fight on their hands.

Granted, this would be true for Democrats in CA to an even greater extent.

Principle aside, Drum seems to be making a tactical error in my opinion. The Democrats don't control the house and it isn't even really that close, so a few seats in CA won't actually hurt all that much. Getting on the redistricting bandwagon and loudly pushing for it could end up doing a lot to restore democrats as the 'party of the people.' In addition, if California goes for this he will get his wish and many red states will likely follow suit.

2/09/2005 09:01:00 AM  

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