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Gerrymandering probably isn't as dominant a factor as people think: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-09/gerrymandering-didn-t-cause-the-shutdown.html http:
by irons 13y ago
Gerrymandering probably isn't as dominant a factor as people think: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-09/gerrymandering-didn-t-cause-the-shutdown.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-09/gerrymandering-didn...
That story is based on 2009 research: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25548144?seq=2 http://www.jstor.org/stable/25548144?seq=2
Admitting that gerrymandering isn't the problem puts the solution further out of reach, unfortunately. Generational change is slow and painful.
- jbigelow76 13y agoI didn't feel the article really refuted the problem of gerrymandering. The Ted Cruz and Cravaack/Nolan shifts weren't cited as examples of where gerrymandering failed to produce the desired result. Gerrymandering might not be a problem when viewed in the context of a single legislative session but the lasting impact will be felt over many sessions. But the article does make good points of self selected voting districts resulting from people moving in and out of communities.
- js2 13y agoSee also http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/17/redistricting-didnt-win-republicans-the-house/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/17/r... which argues it being due to incumbency and the Democrats "wasting" votes due to being more highly concentrated in urban areas.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]