This is what America would look like without gerrymandering

[JaneyVee]

The map was created by the Center for Range Voting, which was founded by math PhD Warren Smith and engineer Jan Kok to float innovative election reform proposals. To make it, they used what they call the shortest splitline algorithm. Basically, they used the shortest possible line to cut a state into two halves with roughly equal populations. Then they did so again, and again, and again, until they had the proper number of overall districts.

link: http://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5695350/this-is-what-america-would-look-like-without-gerrymandering

[Art_from_Ark]

1. But what would America look like without gerrymandering

and with Congressional districts remaining within state boundaries?

[Agschmid]

2. +1

[2naSalit]

7. First question that

came to mind for me (too?)

That would be a tough task but necessary for it to work within the constraints of the law.

[KittyWampus]

3. In Pennsylvania Demos win popular vote but Repubicans get 72% House seats

You'll notice that's not a very clean map. It's full of jagged edges and weird outcroppings and sharp turns. That's no accident. The map was drawn by Pennsylvania's Republicans in 2010, and it did its job: though Democrats won the state's popular vote in 2012, Pennsylvania sent more Republicans (red) than Democrats (blue) to Congress:



To be exact, though House Republicans won only 49 percent of Pennsylvania's popular vote, they won 72 percent of its House seats.

[struggle4progress]

5. That happened here in NC too

[ohnoyoudidnt]

4. There is something very wrong when the majority of voters vote for a Democrat,

yes the house is controlled by Republicans.

[nomorenomore08]

6. In the long run, though, even this bullshit won't be enough to save them.

Demographically speaking, they're doomed. But it's up to the rest of us to keep driving the nails into their coffin.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

8. I agree, but the fight against oligarchy and avarice is a neverending batttle.

They will never give up. I think we are making some progress, but I am cautiously optimistic. So, yes, drive as many nails as we can and never miss an opportunity to beat them into the ground.

[nomorenomore08]

9. True, and the GOP/Koch-strokers are only the most visible face of it.

The struggle against unjust hierarchy - and really, on a mass level, all hierarchies are unjust - is both multi-faceted, and as much philosophical as it is political.

[Humanist_Activist]

10. To be honest, I think districting is unsustainable, at least how we keep practicing it...

in the United States.

I think we would have fairer outcomes with at-large state wide, proportional, multi-party/multi-candidate elections. On the ballot you would vote for your slate of candidates/preferred political party, and then candidates from said party or slate of candidates would be elected to a number of seats proportional to their percentage of the vote.

This is grossly oversimplified, but you get the idea.

[Springslips]

11. I agree...

Many of our problems come down to a bad political system; there is a reason why new democracies don't follow the US model. Because it sucks!

[Humanist_Activist]

14. Honestly, much of it is because of the history of the United States.

The United States was a government that tried to control a part of a continent that was over a quarter the size of Europe before we invented the telegraph. Not to mention all the political compromises made. A newer democracy of today, or even ones with less institutional stagnation, can take advantage of new technologies, new techniques, and new political methods more readily than we can.

[aggiesal]

12. This is nonsense because ...

these districts cross state lines.

Come up with an example where the districts stay within state borders,
and I'll gladly retract my this-is-nonsense comment.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. While you are correct on the stateline issue

it is a fascinating map. Look at some of those districts in fly over country. They are larger than states. It is a fascinating exercise. It also assumes not the 52 separate electoral systems, but one. And that... might not be such a bad idea to consider. Oh and visiting voters in those huge districts would be fun.

[polynomial]

15. The reality of the free vote in America

Gerrymandering is based on more than just splitting the population by vote. There are interesting concepts in the background called packing and cracking, business distribution, basic statistics in voter turnout, and most importantly the media patterns.

Even the Chinese study our system with impressive detail and good reason to influence the success of Wal-Mart, or other big box stores that distribute Chinese products.

Its incredible how Americans have become deceived by underhanded political business methods in trade agreements that eventually build other societies, with absolute media liars supported by our supreme court in decisions like free speech is money, corporations are people, and it is ok the lie in news telecasting, or political advertisements. The American middle class and poor are going the way of the buffalo.