What It Would Take to Finally Slay the Gerrymander
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TL;DR
- Gerrymandering, named after Governor Elbridge Gerry in 1812, continues to be a significant issue in U.S. politics.
- Recent actions by state legislatures and Supreme Court decisions have created conditions for a 'golden age' of gerrymandering.
- Historical attempts to regulate districting, such as the 1842 Apportionment Act and Supreme Court rulings like Wesberry v. Sanders, have had mixed success.
- The advent of computer modeling has enabled more precise partisan districting.
- Proportional representation, a system that allocates seats based on the statewide vote share, is proposed as an alternative to eliminate districts altogether.
- The article argues that districting can erode democracy by discouraging voter participation and aligning leaders with narrow party interests.