Gerrymandering: Making a Mockery of Democracy since 1812

Politicians have been manipulating district lines for personal gain for centuries, and it’s time to put an end to it. By gerrymandering congressional districts, politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around.

Unethical gerrymandering is one of the biggest reasons for the entrenched political class and a broken election system. Because elected officials don’t have to worry about losing their job (unlike most of us), they are completely and totally unaccountable to their constituents. According to Ballotpedia:

incumbent re-election rates is consistently close to 90 percent despite the fact that more than three-quarters of Americans don’t approve of the job congress is doing.

This is super frustrating. Accountable leadership is one of Democracy’s main selling points, and when that promise is broken, well things get squirrely fast.

Gerrymandering translates to uncompetitive elections and a government that doesn’t work for the people. It enables regulatory capture by the people who should be working for us, and rent-seeking from corporations.

Two of the biggest results of gerrymandering are political polarization and gridlock.

“Redistricting means fewer and fewer “swing” districts, places where politicians need to speak to both sides and forge compromise. In too many parts of America, there is no political risk to divisive rhetoric and no political incentive to seek common ground.”

-Kellyanne Conway

The only way we can get the government to function properly is to reform redistricting and mitigate gerrymandering once and for all. Voters need to choose their leaders honestly, in fair and competitive elections.

What is Redistricting?

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the district lines for congressional and state legislative districts. The House of Representatives is made up of elected officials from a legislative district. Redistricting determines how citizens are grouped and are supposed to ensure that each district has an equal population.

The redistricting process is a contentious one, as politicians fight over how the lines should be drawn.

“He who controls redistricting can control Congress.”
-Karl Rove*

The big problem is that in many states the party that is in power gets to decide how the lines are drawn. Since our elected officials do not care about their constituents and instead want more and more power, they draw the lines in a way to favor them as much as possible.

Because redistricting only happens every 10 years (after the census), the redistricting process can have ramifications for a generation. Done corruptly, it often entrenches incumbents through several election cycles.

When dishonest and corrupt means are employed to draw the district lines, the impact is massive.

Done properly and ethically, redistricting is an important element of a functioning Democracy in a country with changing demographics. But when it’s not done ethically, that leads to trouble, enter gerrymandering.

What is Gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering means drawing district lines to benefit one political party or candidate. It is named after Elbridge Gerry, who was the governor of Massachusetts in 1812. He drew district lines that benefited his party, and one of the districts was so oddly shaped that it was nicknamed “Gerrymander.”

The Original Gerrymander – Gerrymandering dates back to Massachusetts in 1812.

The Difference Between Gerrymandering And Redistricting

Types of Gerrymandering

The powerful know that they are doing a horrible job. And they know that we know. They can’t keep the power honestly, so, because they only care about maintaining power at any cost, they do it dishonestly.

There are a few ways that gerrymandering happens:

• Creating “safe” districts – The first is when the lines are drawn in a way that benefits one political party. By creating “safe” districts for the party in power, they are all but guaranteed to win.
• Protecting Incumbents – Gerrymandering can also create districts that are safe for the incumbents of both parties or by packing as many voters of one party into one district so that the other party has a better chance of winning in the surrounding districts.

“Packing”

Packing is a type of gerrymandering that is used to weaken the opposition party. The majority party packs as many voters of the opposition party into one district as possible, so that they have a better chance of winning in the surrounding districts.

In essence, district lines are drawn so that the opposition party’s voters are concentrated in one area. It concentrates voters at the extremes so that more reasonable moderates are drowned out.

Packing gerrymandering examples:

• One example of packing to benefit Republicans is the gerrymandering of Texas which reduces Black and Hispanic majority congressional districts. The Republican party drew district lines that packed as many Democratic voters into as few districts as possible and gave Republicans a better chance of winning in the surrounding districts.
• An example of packing to benefit Democrats is the gerrymandering of Maryland’s sixth district, which is being heard at the Supreme Court.

“Cracking”

On the flip side, cracking is a type of gerrymandering that divides the opposition party’s voters. The majority party draws district lines so that the opposition party’s voters are divided into multiple districts, to make it harder for them to win any of the districts. By spreading out voters who are more likely to vote for the opposition, those drawing the district lines can disenfranchise huge numbers of voters.

Cracking gerrymandering examples:

Two examples of cracking occurred in Pennsylvania and North Carolina:

• In Pennsylvania, the Republican party drew district lines that cracked the Democratic party’s voters into multiple districts, making it harder for them to win any of the districts.
• In North Carolina, the Republican party drew district lines that cracked the Democratic party’s voters into multiple districts, making it harder for them to win any of the districts.

Both Democrats and Republicans Gerrymander

It’s important to keep in mind that both parties gerrymander for their advantage, and this has led to uncompetitive elections and a government that doesn’t work for the people. It comes down to who controls power at the state level. It is a symptom of our corrupt political system. The lack of accountability means that elected officials and their cronies can act with impunity.

Like embracing gridlock and supporting the military-industrial complex, exploiting redistricting to stay in power is one of the few bipartisan agendas popular in Washington.

One of the few goals both Democrats and Republicans share is staying in power at all costs and avoiding any kind of accountability.

Corrupt politicians go along with the fighting over nonsense issues in the media, but what they care about (as opposed to what they fight about publicly) is taking as much money and power for themselves as they can.

According to Vox, while Republicans had been more effective at drawing favorable congressional district maps, Democrats have been gaining ground in exploiting Gerrymandering to their advantage.

On both sides – gerrymandering is one of the political elites’ most powerful tools for avoiding accountability.

Changes in Congressional Seats Following the 2020 Census

The US Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Redistricting Data in September of 2021. At that point, new congressional districts needed to be created, and the redistricting process began. Because redistricting only happens every decade, the stakes are high. By giving their party an advantage, the people who draw congressional lines can have devastating impacts for generations.

What states gained seats in Congress in 2020?

• Texas gained two seats while Florida, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, and North Carolina each gained a seat.

What states lost seats in Congress in 2020?

• Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each lost one seat.

Changes in congressional seats reflect the demographic pattern of citizens moving to states in the South and West while leaving major metropolitan areas in the Midwest and Northeast.

Despite several lawsuits, in essence, the new district lines have been decided. That means we have until the end of the 2030 census to pressure elected officials to reform the redistricting process.

Redistricting and Gerrymandering following the 2020 Census

If you want to see a breakdown of the results and impact of redistricting, both Politico and Five Thirty-Eight have comprehensive summaries of the changes and their implications. But the bottom line is that there are fewer competitive seats, the ultimate goal of the gerrymander.

Here’s where the Redistricting process stands in September of 2022 according to Politico. Of 435 congressional seats, only 79 are competitive, less than 20 percent 🙁

Implications of Redistricting in the 2022 elections

• Favoring Republicans – States where redistricting favored Republicans are North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.
• Favoring Democrats – States that favored Democrats are New York, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico.

What Problems Does Gerrymandering Cause?

Gerrymandering has several negative effects on our democracy.

• Uncompetitive elections – Which benefit incumbents. These “elections” are really nothing of the sort. The outcome of the vast majority of elections is already known before anyone goes to the polls. Bad leaders stay in power, and potential rivals can’t gain traction.

See the broken election system >>

• A government that doesn’t work – Gerrymandering is a direct cause of our broken government. Through “safe” districts, the other party has no chance of winning and there is therefore zero accountability. Our government is not representative of the people and instead protects the money at the heart of elections.

See Gridlock >>

• Leads to political corruption – Gerrymandering often leads to and perpetuates political corruption. With uncompetitive elections, politicians can be more corrupt without fear of retribution.
• Perpetuates polarization – The increasing division and anger in the country are closely related to gerrymandering. Together, they feed an ever-growing vicious cycle. Particularly with the primary process, gerrymandering, and elections cause polarization, which in turn drives further division between the parties.
• Drug and alcohol abuse – Gerrymandering is an important factor in so many of the failures in government. It is one of the primary reasons politicians and political parties don’t feel pressure to do anything to help people. Gerrymandering helps ensure that those in power stay in power (regardless of the party) and that nothing will ever change. As society deteriorates due to so many failures of the government, more and more people turn to the bottle and other drugs to numb themselves to the pain of existing in this hellscape.

Our elected officials’ inability to do anything to meaningfully help the country is one of the leading causes of alcohol and drug abuse.

Despite in wonky nature, gerrymandering is at the heart of many of the most terrible aspects of the country.

Why is Gerrymandering Allowed?

Despite its devastating impact on the country, gerrymandering is not against the law and it is a constitutional right. The Supreme Court ruled that gerrymandering is a “political question,” and thus it is up to the states to regulate it. This has led to a patchwork of laws, with some states having strict laws against them and others having no laws at all.

2018 SCOTUS Gerrymandering Decision

On June 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on gerrymandering. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that gerrymandering is constitutional and that it is a political act, which cannot be regulated by the federal government.

What does this ruling mean for gerrymandering?

This ruling means that gerrymandering is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. While states are free to enact redistricting reform, it seems politicians have zero legal obligation to make sure their constituents are represented.

We’ve seen that the powerful will take everything that isn’t nailed down, even if it means robbing the country of her integrity.

And because so many states are dominated by one party, there is little the opposing party can do to fight back against dishonest congressional maps.

There is no Federal solution to gerrymandering, and it’s up to each state to ensure they are doing their best to represent their constituents. In the political hellscape we’re living in, don’t hold your breath that the two parties will allow anything that could threaten their power.  The powerful like the status quo just fine.

How’s that for “Democracy?”

These monsters will not be giving up any power themselves. The only way to reform the election system is to hold the government accountable.

Why Haven’t Elected Officials Reformed Redistricting Laws?

The SCOTUS decision is the basic, technical, and legal reason why gerrymandering is allowed. But the reality is much more complex.

Dishonest gerrymandering is a symptom of all overall sickness afflicting the country. The real reason our politicians aren’t reforming the redistricting plan is because of things like the leadership vacuum, the influence of money on government, the broken election system, the media, polarization, and most of the other big problems facing our government.

They Have Nothing to Gain

The main reason there’s no progress is that it’s not in their best interest to do so. Elected officials benefit from gerrymandering. Gerrymandering leads to uncompetitive elections, which benefits incumbents. Elected officials are unlikely to reform gerrymandering laws, as they would be effectively shooting themselves in the foot.

There is no real pressure for reform.

Good Guys are Marginalized

Sure there are plenty of well-meaning politicians. Some even hold office! But they can’t do much. The agenda is set by the party leaders, and you can only reach party leadership if you understand the game and play to win.

The One Who “Play Ball” Get To Keep Playing

The game isn’t to benefit the country as a whole.

The game is to ensure you and your party become as powerful as possible, for as long as possible. Gerrymandering provides the political elites security and ensures they don’t have to worry about elections outside of a small number of competitive districts. They like things the way they are.

Gerrymandering itself leads to more gerrymandering. It’s a vicious cycle where power gets entrenched, which gives them more power. They can continue to stack the deck in their favor until the opposition is neutered.

On Both Sides, Our Leaders are Awful

We don’t have good leadership. Despite some politicians with good intentions, it is abundantly clear that we have terrible leadership and a bunch of cowards in charge. They run their mouths and tweet all day long, but when it comes to helping people they are out to lunch. Without leaders we can trust, we can’t do anything.

More on the leadership vacuum >>

How to Fix Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering is nothing new, and we’ve known about ways to reform it for decades. But we lack the political will to get anything done. Unaccountable politicians are crippling our democracy. We need to reform the redistricting process to bring accountability back to politics and to fix our broken democracy.

Any reform of gerrymandering at the Federal level would have to be done through a constitutional amendment, which is difficult to pass in normal times and impossible given the current political division.

Until that happens, elected officials can gerrymander without fear of legal repercussions. What else is new?

We need competitive elections to have a government that works for the people. There are several ways to reform gerrymandering.

Change the way congressional districts are drawn

One way to fix gerrymandering is to change the way congressional districts are drawn. Districts should be drawn in a way that is fair and allows citizens the ability to influence the outcome. Too many voters live in uncompetitive districts where their votes simply don’t matter.

Fair congressional district maps can be drawn by an independent commission, by an algorithm, or by moving to a system of proportional representation.

Independent Redistricting Commissions

Many people believe that the best way to fix gerrymandering is to have an independent commission draw the district lines. The hope is to take the politics out of the process and ensure that districts are drawn in a fair and unbiased way. Several states use an independent commission to draw their district lines, and it is somewhat effective at reducing the influence of partisan hacks in the redistricting process.

But as politicians in Ohio proved, even when voters overwhelmingly desire and vote for fair congressional maps, unethical politicians will do everything in their power to resist change.

Algorithmic Redistricting

Algorithmic redistricting uses a computer algorithm to evenly distribute voters across all districts. By relying on a computer rather than biased politicians we may be able to avoid many pitfalls of the redistricting process. You don’t necessarily want robots to fix all our problems, but in this case, an algorithm is an improvement over some of the monsters we currently have running the show.

Move To A System Of Proportional Representation

Another way to reform gerrymandering is to change the way that elections are conducted. Some have proposed moving to a system of proportional representation, where each political party gets several congressional seats in proportion to their share of the vote. The idea is that if 60 percent of the state voted for one party, then 60 percent of the congressional representatives would be from that party.  Proportional representation would make it impossible for gerrymandering to occur, as there would be no need to manipulate district lines.

Reforming the Overall Election System

It’s difficult to talk about reforming the redistricting process and ending gerrymandering without talking about the election and voting environment system overall. The primary process, the influence of money on the government, the media in general, and on and on making progress on redistricting reform all but impossible.

• Rank Choice Voting – Ranked choice voting is an idea to reduce polarization by moving away from the current system the rewards extremes. When voting, citizens rank their preferences for each of the candidates. It sounds a little complicated but it’s not. Ballotpedia explains “If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority.”
  • • In 2017, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the Fair Representation Act a “bill which would enact a series of measures designed to reform congressional elections.” One of the measures includes rank choice voting. I’m sure you can imagine how much traction it’s received since.
• Approval Voting – Similar to rank choice voting, approval voting “lets each voter indicate support for one or more candidates. Final tallies show how many votes each candidate received, and the winner is the candidate with the most support” from Wikipedia.

There are all kinds of ways to reform the election process in terms of creating a functioning government.

See how to fix the government for more >>

But the strategies to fix gerrymandering above would have to happen at the state level. The difficulty is that because not many states are controlled by one party unless there is an insurmountable amount of pressure from both parties, it’s easy to brush off calls for reform.

Amending the Constitution

A final, if the unlikely solution, is to amend the Constitution to specifically prohibit gerrymandering. This would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, as well as ratification by three-fourths of the states. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, “Not Bloody Likely!”

Solutions to the problem of gerrymandering at the federal level require our political leaders to cooperate and get something done. With the gridlocked political climate we have today, redistricting reform at the federal level doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

But there is hope for reforming redistricting at the state level.

Demand Action in Your State

Because the states are responsible for their redistricting process, reform at the state level is the main way to effect change. Contact your elected representative and tell them that fair redistricting is a priority for you.

Contact your elected representative >>

Examples Of Gerrymandering Restrictions At The State Level

Despite the despair that sets in while lamenting the lousy political climate, some states offer a roadmap for progress. Several states have strict laws against gerrymandering, including California, Arizona, and Iowa.

• California – California’s anti-gerrymandering law is one of the most strict in the country. Under this law, gerrymandering is not allowed under any circumstances. The California anti-gerrymandering law is enforced by an independent commission that is responsible for drawing the district lines. This commission is made up of five members, two of whom are from the party in power and three of whom are from the minority party. By giving the minority party more say, competitive districts are more likely.
• Iowa – Iowa has a similar law that is enforced by an independent commission. However, Iowa’s law is not as strict as California’s, and gerrymandering is allowed in some circumstances.
• Arizona – In Arizona, gerrymandering is only allowed if it does not result in a district that is significantly different from the statewide average.

None of these have completely fixed the issue, but progress toward more accountable elections is all we can do.

As unlikely as it seems, reform is possible.

Several groups in your state are likely working to reform Gerrymandering in some capacity. Hopefully, we’ll be able to compile them all here. In the meantime, if you happen to track down a group that is working to reform Gerrymandering, let me know about it and I’ll feature it here.

It’s time for a change

We need to reform gerrymandering right now to save our democracy. Gerrymandering is a huge problem that is crippling our government and preventing it from working for the people.

We need to change the way the hyper-partisan manner in which congressional districts are currently drawn.

Provide your email below to learn more about attempts to reform gerrymandering, fix government, and how make everything Less Bad.

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