Voting is a critical part of our democracy. Here in America, we have regions in each state called districts, that are specifically created to keep populations in balance when voting. When populations shift or change, these district lines have to be redrawn. This system makes district voting fair and well-represented… or it’s supposed to. The problem with this is that the politicians are the ones drawing the lines. Most times, these politicians are thinking about the success of their party over the morals of “fairness”. Politicians will, therefore, adapt the district lines to fit their political agenda. This is called Gerrymandering. Cracking down on unfair gerrymandering is difficult, because although racial gerrymandering is illegal according to the voting rights act, partisan gerrymandering is not.
Gerrymandering started over two hundred years ago, and it is still affecting our political system today. In North Carolina on Monday, a federal court ruled that Republicans drew congressional district lines illegally to sway votes towards their party. The decision made by this court could have huge effects in the national midterms this coming November. With Democrats needing 23 seats in the House of Representatives to gain control, this could mean a leg up for them if the ruling goes their way.
Should partisan gerrymandering be illegal as well as racial gerrymandering? Who should be in charge of setting district lines? What consequences should be enforced in the meantime for illegal gerrymandering?
Here is a Ted talk discussing gerrymandering and its consequences more in depth:
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/gerrymandering-how-drawing-jagged-lines-can-impact-an-election-christina-greer
I believe that partisan gerrymandering should be illegal as well as racial gerrymandering. This would help the parties become more equal and allow everyone to have a more represented voice in our government. I think that the Supreme Court should be in charge of settling the district lines. I believe that the politicians involved should be suspended from their position or office so that they realize the importance of these laws and to show them that no one is above the law. -Liberty C.
ReplyDeleteClearly, partisan gerrymandering is unfair. However, I don't see any way this can be objectively enforced. If it should be illegal, who can draw the lines without any potential at all of political bias? We already know that even Supreme Court members can have biases. How can we distinguish actual gerrymandering from what just looks like weird district division? And if gerrymandering occurs, how can we tell beyond a reasonable doubt that it is for partisan reasons? Remember that our court system counts everyone as innocent until proven guilty, and it would be especially hard to tell for sure what's going on in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI understand the importance of talking about this issue, but I'm not sure how to actually solve the problem.
-Jesse F.
Most would be able to agree that this is an issue. I think to help fix the problem districts should be based on actual communities instead of random districts. Communities would be able to help with the distinction between random or weird districts and fair ones.
ReplyDeleteI've recently seen where California politician and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger has set out on a large campaign to outlaw gerrymandering, as it is a very large issue within the state. I agree that gerrymandering should be outlawed, given that it sways political votes and can be manipulated very easily. However, I don't know how the state and national government should enforce laws against gerrymandering. It's a very hard issue to try and enforce since it could cause so many more issues than it already has.- Gavin S.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting and relevant topic - and what a shame that this twisted democratic dysfunction has followed us from the very beginning of our nation until even now. Of course, based on principles of justice, freedom, and equality, all forms of gerrymandering should be illegal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the answers to the other questions you posed are not so cut-and-dry (for me at least). Setting district lines should definitely be done by someone who has the least possible stake/reason for bias in the lines being drawn. Though practiced politicians might be ideal for establishing such boundaries in their arena, the inherent temptation to tip the scales in their/party's favor is naturally a serious problem across the board. So, who would be the most likely to be the most impartial and otherwise most equipped with the skills necessary to competently complete the job? Geographers? Mathematicians? Political scientists? And finally, what consequences should be enforced in the meantime for illegal gerrymandering: I believe the most fair and right thing to do is to persecute the problem makers to the full extent of the law, with just trials set up from past court cases of people/politicians who tried to meddle with our democracy to set the precedent.