Not all of this race-conscious gerrymandering was well-intentioned (if any of it was). This was classic divide and rule tactics: pit groups against one another in competition for bigger slices of the pie, then appeal to those who tend to vote your way on the basis that - but for your party - their adversary groups will rob them of power. It's how clan-based and ethnicity-based political machines have always functioned, only today we call it "equity".
Almost all the initial news reports said flatly that the Voting Rights Act was “gutted.” No. The VRA made it illegal to prevent people from voting based on their race, and that isn’t going change. A surprising number of people I’ve spoken with think the Court legalized racial gerrymandering, when in fact (as you explain) they struck it down. It was just terrible reporting in the NYT, NPR and elsewhere.
You make some valid points (absurdly drawn district) - but void like the plague the main plague so to speak: gerrymandering (mainly, but not exclusively by Republicans). The SCOTUS ruling that allowed if for political reasons is corrosive to democracy - even more than citizens united. This decision is not catastrophic - but it erodes trust in democracy even further.
“gerrymandering (mainly, but not exclusively by Republicans).“ Are you serious? Take a look at the north eastern states or Illinois. Hardly any Republican districts even with Republicans getting 30-40% of the vote.
Like i said: mainly but not exclusively Republican. You might want to look who began this shameless game: republicans in Wisconsin and Texas on state level. My point is that both parties do it. This year's round was began at the urging of president DT and the lap dog GOP party followed. The retoric reminds my of all communist-Poland: "Let us give president Trump all the seats in South Carolina" - did you miss that delightful statement from the GOP. So please, get a grip on reality. Both parties do it, republicans this year are just more shameles.
My take is that the trust should be eroded because the system of electing representative officials by vote based on essentially political and unavoidably arbitrary districting decisions while pretending that they were or even could be neutral was never worthy of much trust.
We asked a system to answer to too many goals without realizing that they were not mutually possible, akin to the Condorcet paradox. Something must give. Perhaps proportional representation. Perhaps sortition.
Here's a crazy Idea, go by property value. Set a flat tax for all properties, Then use the surplus from the rich districts to fund schools and social programs in the poorer districts.
Here's the thought I've always had: Less government. The less government, the less it can manifest any bias.
That means everyone is more responsible for their own self, and they get to represent their own best interests. Win/win.
Not all of this race-conscious gerrymandering was well-intentioned (if any of it was). This was classic divide and rule tactics: pit groups against one another in competition for bigger slices of the pie, then appeal to those who tend to vote your way on the basis that - but for your party - their adversary groups will rob them of power. It's how clan-based and ethnicity-based political machines have always functioned, only today we call it "equity".
Almost all the initial news reports said flatly that the Voting Rights Act was “gutted.” No. The VRA made it illegal to prevent people from voting based on their race, and that isn’t going change. A surprising number of people I’ve spoken with think the Court legalized racial gerrymandering, when in fact (as you explain) they struck it down. It was just terrible reporting in the NYT, NPR and elsewhere.
You make some valid points (absurdly drawn district) - but void like the plague the main plague so to speak: gerrymandering (mainly, but not exclusively by Republicans). The SCOTUS ruling that allowed if for political reasons is corrosive to democracy - even more than citizens united. This decision is not catastrophic - but it erodes trust in democracy even further.
“gerrymandering (mainly, but not exclusively by Republicans).“ Are you serious? Take a look at the north eastern states or Illinois. Hardly any Republican districts even with Republicans getting 30-40% of the vote.
Like i said: mainly but not exclusively Republican. You might want to look who began this shameless game: republicans in Wisconsin and Texas on state level. My point is that both parties do it. This year's round was began at the urging of president DT and the lap dog GOP party followed. The retoric reminds my of all communist-Poland: "Let us give president Trump all the seats in South Carolina" - did you miss that delightful statement from the GOP. So please, get a grip on reality. Both parties do it, republicans this year are just more shameles.
My take is that the trust should be eroded because the system of electing representative officials by vote based on essentially political and unavoidably arbitrary districting decisions while pretending that they were or even could be neutral was never worthy of much trust.
We asked a system to answer to too many goals without realizing that they were not mutually possible, akin to the Condorcet paradox. Something must give. Perhaps proportional representation. Perhaps sortition.
Here's a crazy Idea, go by property value. Set a flat tax for all properties, Then use the surplus from the rich districts to fund schools and social programs in the poorer districts.
*mathematician voice* There's actually at least one perfectly proportional group of representatives I know of…