Gerrymandering 101

[rightwinger]

Complete the puzzles to see why Republicans control the House of Representatives in spite of receiving fewer votes

Gerrymandering jigsaw puzzle game: Put the congressional districts back together. - Slate Magazine

 

[Moonglow]

Texas is notorious for gerrymandering, it is illegal, but, the GOP loves to do it.

 

[Sallow]

And you can see why Republicans are opposed to Democracy..right?

 

[candycorn]

Complete the puzzles to see why Republicans control the House of Representatives in spite of receiving fewer votes

Gerrymandering jigsaw puzzle game: Put the congressional districts back together. - Slate Magazine

Great piece in Slate as usual.

We really need to just divide it by zip code; If your state has 10 reps, take the total number of zip codes, put them into a hat, and have the reps pick them at random until they're done. When you're done, you have your district.

 

[rightwinger]

The process is very simple

Pack as many Democrats as you can into one or two districts and make all the other districts 55-45 Republican

In a state with 1 million people and five districts of 200,000

District 1 180K D 20K R
District 2 90K D 110K R
District 3 90K D 110K R
District 4 90K D 110K R
District 5 90K D 110K R

Even though the state is 540K Democrats to 460K Republican, Republicans manage to take 4 of 5 seats

Just look at North Carolina to see Gerrymandering at its worst

 

[Missourian]

Both sides...not just Republicans.

 

[rightwinger]

Both sides...not just Republicans.

Doesn't matter

The process disenfranchises the voter. Political affiliation or voting patterns should have no bearing in defining Congressional districts

 

[Missourian]

Both sides...not just Republicans.

Doesn't matter

The process disenfranchises the voter. Political affiliation or voting patterns should have no bearing in defining Congressional districts

Always has, whether Democrats or Republicans do it.

Democrats complain when Republicans have the advantage and Republicans complain when Democrats have the advantage.

But when their own party has the advantage, they are intensely silent.

 

[Redfish]

Both sides...not just Republicans.

Doesn't matter

The process disenfranchises the voter. Political affiliation or voting patterns should have no bearing in defining Congressional districts

Both parties do it. Look at the congressional districts in any large city.

Yes, its wrong and illegal, but you are being disengenuous in claiming that only republicans do it.

 

[peach174]

The Democrats would not be having any problem what so ever, if the census had continued to favor them like it always has since 1970.
Now they unfairly cry gerrymandering.
The redistricting from our last census now favors the Republicans and the Democrats are all upset about it.
Live with it lefties, it's here to stay at least until the 2020 census.

 

[peach174]

And you can see why Republicans are opposed to Democracy..right?

Not Republicans, our Founders were.

 

[rightwinger]

Gerrymandering? Not in Iowa - Times Union

How does Iowa do it?

In 1980, the Iowa legislature gave responsibility for drawing up redistricting plans to the Legislative Service Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that also manages the legislative library, computer services and legal drafting.

It also established a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission of four members appointed by the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The commission's chairperson, elected by the appointees, cannot hold a partisan political office or political party office, work for the legislature or be related to or employed by a state or federal legislator.

By law, the Legislative Service Agency starts with population equality (one man, one vote) as the most important criteria for a new map. Whenever possible, it must set district boundaries that match the boundaries of political subdivisions such as counties and keep to a minimum the number of counties or cities split into more than one district.

Iowa law further requires that districts be reasonably compact in shape -- defined as "square, rectangular, or hexagonal ... and not irregularly shaped," and there are factors the agency is prohibited from considering.

 

[Redfish]

Gerrymandering? Not in Iowa - Times Union

How does Iowa do it?

In 1980, the Iowa legislature gave responsibility for drawing up redistricting plans to the Legislative Service Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that also manages the legislative library, computer services and legal drafting.

It also established a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission of four members appointed by the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The commission's chairperson, elected by the appointees, cannot hold a partisan political office or political party office, work for the legislature or be related to or employed by a state or federal legislator.

By law, the Legislative Service Agency starts with population equality (one man, one vote) as the most important criteria for a new map. Whenever possible, it must set district boundaries that match the boundaries of political subdivisions such as counties and keep to a minimum the number of counties or cities split into more than one district.

Iowa law further requires that districts be reasonably compact in shape -- defined as "square, rectangular, or hexagonal ... and not irregularly shaped," and there are factors the agency is prohibited from considering.

Good for Iowa---------what point are you trying to make?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Those of you saying that gerrymandering is illegal are wrong. The courts have upheld it repeatedly claiming that as long as the districts are equal in population there is nothing illegal about how they draw the lines, unless it's really outrageous. This doesn't mean it's ethical, of course.

Gerrymandering is only part of the problem though. The size of the U.S. House of Representative is too small. One person cannot effectively represent 700,000 people and when you're one constituent of 700,000 access to your representative is very difficult. Americans have the least representation out of most democratic/republican governments in the world. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 needs to be repealed and at minimum the size of the U.S. House should double, but in my opinion, triple in size.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Gerrymandering? Not in Iowa - Times Union

How does Iowa do it?

In 1980, the Iowa legislature gave responsibility for drawing up redistricting plans to the Legislative Service Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that also manages the legislative library, computer services and legal drafting.

It also established a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission of four members appointed by the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The commission's chairperson, elected by the appointees, cannot hold a partisan political office or political party office, work for the legislature or be related to or employed by a state or federal legislator.

By law, the Legislative Service Agency starts with population equality (one man, one vote) as the most important criteria for a new map. Whenever possible, it must set district boundaries that match the boundaries of political subdivisions such as counties and keep to a minimum the number of counties or cities split into more than one district.

Iowa law further requires that districts be reasonably compact in shape -- defined as "square, rectangular, or hexagonal ... and not irregularly shaped," and there are factors the agency is prohibited from considering.

Good for Iowa---------what point are you trying to make?

Take the process out of the hands of politicians.

 

[Defiant1]

The process is very simple

Pack as many Democrats as you can into one or two districts and make all the other districts 55-45 Republican

In a state with 1 million people and five districts of 200,000

District 1 180K D 20K R
District 2 90K D 110K R
District 3 90K D 110K R
District 4 90K D 110K R
District 5 90K D 110K R

Even though the state is 540K Democrats to 460K Republican, Republicans manage to take 4 of 5 seats

Just look at North Carolina to see Gerrymandering at its worst

Congressional districts are based on the current population figures not registered voters or the number of people in a party.

The districts within a state are to be designed to be as close to equal as possible, usually no more the 1 person difference.

 

[rightwinger]

Gerrymandering? Not in Iowa - Times Union

How does Iowa do it?

In 1980, the Iowa legislature gave responsibility for drawing up redistricting plans to the Legislative Service Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that also manages the legislative library, computer services and legal drafting.

It also established a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission of four members appointed by the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The commission's chairperson, elected by the appointees, cannot hold a partisan political office or political party office, work for the legislature or be related to or employed by a state or federal legislator.

By law, the Legislative Service Agency starts with population equality (one man, one vote) as the most important criteria for a new map. Whenever possible, it must set district boundaries that match the boundaries of political subdivisions such as counties and keep to a minimum the number of counties or cities split into more than one district.

Iowa law further requires that districts be reasonably compact in shape -- defined as "square, rectangular, or hexagonal ... and not irregularly shaped," and there are factors the agency is prohibited from considering.

Good for Iowa---------what point are you trying to make?

1. The drawing of Congressional Districts should be non-partisan
2. Voting blocks and party affiliations should not be a consideration
3. Districts should have roughly equal populations
4. Districts should follow county boundaries and then local municipalities to the maximum extent possible

 

[Missourian]

Zombie » The Top Ten Most Gerrymandered Congressional Districts in the United States

Check out Maryland...

 

[rightwinger]

The process is very simple

Pack as many Democrats as you can into one or two districts and make all the other districts 55-45 Republican

In a state with 1 million people and five districts of 200,000

District 1 180K D 20K R
District 2 90K D 110K R
District 3 90K D 110K R
District 4 90K D 110K R
District 5 90K D 110K R

Even though the state is 540K Democrats to 460K Republican, Republicans manage to take 4 of 5 seats

Just look at North Carolina to see Gerrymandering at its worst

Congressional districts are based on the current population figures not registered voters or the number of people in a party.
The districts within a state are to be designed to be as close to equal as possible, usually no more the 1 person difference.

Evidently not

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The process is very simple

Pack as many Democrats as you can into one or two districts and make all the other districts 55-45 Republican

In a state with 1 million people and five districts of 200,000

District 1 180K D 20K R
District 2 90K D 110K R
District 3 90K D 110K R
District 4 90K D 110K R
District 5 90K D 110K R

Even though the state is 540K Democrats to 460K Republican, Republicans manage to take 4 of 5 seats

Just look at North Carolina to see Gerrymandering at its worst

North Caroline Just recently went State level republican. But ya look at district 13. A district made by the democrats that is for black "representation".