Interesting gerrymandering ruling

This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 1 month ago by Zooey.

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January 12, 2018 at 3:26 pm #80190

wv
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north carolina:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/us/north-carolina-gerrymander.html

A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s congressional map on Tuesday, condemning it as unconstitutional because Republicans had drawn the map seeking a political advantage.

The ruling was the first time that a federal court had blocked a congressional map because of a partisan gerrymander, and it instantly endangered Republican seats in the coming elections.

Judge James A. Wynn Jr., in a biting 191-page opinion, said that Republicans in North Carolina’s Legislature had been “motivated by invidious partisan intent” as they carried out their obligation in 2016 to divide the state into 13 congressional districts, 10 of which are held by Republicans. The result, Judge Wynn wrote, violated the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection….

January 12, 2018 at 11:33 pm #80192

Zooey
Moderator

It’s really our only hope, and a major victory.

First order, get rid of the radical right as a political force.

Next get rid of the right as a political force.

Then the tepid middle.

Then what passes for Liberal.

When the country finally agrees with me, then we will be getting somewhere.

January 15, 2018 at 11:43 am #80250

PA Ram
Participant

We just lost a gerrymandering case in Pennsylvania.

Now it goes to the Supreme Court.

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. " Philip K. Dick

January 15, 2018 at 8:43 pm #80270

wv
Participant

PA Ram wrote:

We just lost a gerrymandering case in Pennsylvania.

Now it goes to the Supreme Court.

============

That would be the same court that gave us Citizens United, right.

Thank goodness we are in good hands.

w
v

January 15, 2018 at 8:58 pm #80273

Billy_T
Participant

I think it’s an ongoing national scandal (and disgrace of epic proportions) that our election system is under the control of both major parties, together, or separately. Beyond that, it’s a national scandal and disgrace that our governing system is in the hands of political parties at all. As in, none of this should be controlled by either the Dems or the Republicans, separately or jointly. It should always and forever remain absolutely “non-partisan,” not “bipartisan” or partisan.

Yeah, we can have political parties vie for seats to represent the people, but they never, ever, not in any way, shape or form, should be able to set the rules for that representation or monopolize power. All of that should be outside the control of the parties, and subject to truly popular consent, protected by Constitutional right.

On just the issue of districts, they should all be formed via computer program, designed to completely ignore party affiliation of any kind, going by population numbers instead, mixed with whatever “natural” boundaries can be adduced. Set up districts by number of citizens, not geographical space, and apportion them that way.

The Dems and the GOP haven’t earned the right to govern any of this, much less set up rules.

January 16, 2018 at 10:43 am #80283

Zooey
Moderator

Billy_T wrote:

I think it’s an ongoing national scandal (and disgrace of epic proportions) that our election system is under the control of both major parties, together, or separately. Beyond that, it’s a national scandal and disgrace that our governing system is in the hands of political parties at all. As in, none of this should be controlled by either the Dems or the Republicans, separately or jointly. It should always and forever remain absolutely “non-partisan,” not “bipartisan” or partisan.

Yeah, we can have political parties vie for seats to represent the people, but they never, ever, not in any way, shape or form, should be able to set the rules for that representation or monopolize power. All of that should be outside the control of the parties, and subject to truly popular consent, protected by Constitutional right.

On just the issue of districts, they should all be formed via computer program, designed to completely ignore party affiliation of any kind, going by population numbers instead, mixed with whatever “natural” boundaries can be adduced. Set up districts by number of citizens, not geographical space, and apportion them that way.

The Dems and the GOP haven’t earned the right to govern any of this, much less set up rules.

Seems to me that a proportional representation system is more democratic. I think some European countries have it, including Germany. I don’t know how they work, but seats are distributed in proportion to the number of votes received rather than winner-take-all.
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