Changing Redistricting Laws

Below is a link to a New York Times Article on the efforts to change the redistricting laws in this country. The manner in which state legislatures draw lines has become, in my opinion, one of the biggest crimes against democracy. The system has created a set of practically untouchable incumbents who then control the process to protect themselves and ensure their re-election. One of the most descriptive comments about the current system is voiced by Univ. of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Nathaniel Persily, "There is a problem when the turnover in the United States House of Representatives is lower than it was in the Soviet Politburo." A pretty damning comment if I have ever seen one.

Most Americans are unaware of the impact of the redistricting rules. The manner in which the state legislatures determine the lines for the House of Representatives and the state legislative districts can determine the make-up of the House delegation and the state legislature for an entire decade. The manner in which most of the lines were drawn in 2001 and 2002 was designed to ensure, usually, the re-election of the incumbents of both parties, regardless of which party controlled the legislature--with some obvious exceptions like Texas and Pennsylvania. Another by-product is th entrenchment of the party structure. As the state legislatures draw lines to encure re-election, they do so by increasing the partisan majorities in each district. The result is that the districts become so one-sided that the only election that counts is the primary--an election that, at least in most states, only a small percentage of voters takes part. The effective result is the disenfranchisment of minority and independent voters from the electoral process.

I for one, living in Maryland, hope that the legislature embraces a different model. I personally like the Arizona model of an independent redistricting commission. Check out how Arizona does it here. If the movement to change the laws can gather enough momentum, it can mean a massive difference in the 2012 elections.


The New York Times > Washington > States See Growing Campaign to Change Redistricting Laws