The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good. Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways. New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic system. The U. Supreme Court just punted on the issue of partisan gerrymandering, handing Republicans a huge political victory by saying it had no role to play in the issue. If the importance of that rather obscure bit of American politicking eludes you, let John Oliver explain—again.
Two years ago, when the Supreme Court had just agreed to hear the case on political gerrymandering, Oliver very adeptly broke down the concept on his HBO show, Last Week Tonight. Political gerrymandering is basically a tool used to give one party an edge in state legislatures and in the House of Representatives.
The current delegation has nine Democrats and nine Republicans. It was first used in to draw Massachusetts state legislative districts that were signed into law by then-Governor and future Vice President Elbridge Gerry.
What is relatively new is the repudiation of compromise by the very large number of incumbents who fear a primary over a general-election challenge. We both served in Congress, on opposing sides, and each felt these pressures every day we were in office. Read: The Supreme Court enshrines winner-take-all politics. The good news is that the process is being corrected at the state and local levels. Grassroots efforts have persuaded several states to adopt better redistricting standards.
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, and Washington all currently have independent or nonpartisan redistricting rules in place. Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah will have either commissions or new practices ready for the next round of redistricting. The next redistricting process in state capitals begins after the census and the elections.
Democratic Party candidates received In the same year, voters also reelected Democratic governor Tom Wolf. But despite support from the voters, the legislature resisted calls to provide greater services to Pennsylvania children.
In , Gov. In Wisconsin, gerrymandering shifted both houses of the legislature in a conservative direction. In , Democratic candidates won With their majorities intact, Republican leaders continued to ignore calls to strengthen state programs targeting kids.
Tony Evers D proposed fully funding full-day kindergarten for 4-year-olds and expanding access to some 3-year-olds, but the legislature rejected the proposal. The legislature provided even less of what Gov. Evers requested for K education. Moreover, Wisconsin legislators, like their counterparts in North Carolina, have rejected Gov. In each of the states highlighted above, gerrymandering and other anti-democratic practices created a major change in the political landscape: Control of state legislatures shifted to conservative lawmakers, which stalled progress on policies important to the well-being of children and families.
Shifts in policy are measurable—albeit less dramatic in scope—even with a change of a single legislator from one party to the other. Unfortunately, because of gerrymandering, there have been and continue to be significant shifts in policy taking place in state capitals across the nation.
In other words, across the country, many lawmakers are winning elections only because districts are unfairly tilted in their favor. CAP analyses have looked closely at programs that affect children, Medicaid, and laws that prevent gun violence; it is clear that all of those issues are negatively affected by gerrymandering. In all likelihood, gerrymandering distorts policy across every significant issue that legislatures consider.
The good news is that gerrymandering is fixable. At the state and federal levels, laws can be passed that take the power to draw districts out of the hands of legislatures and instead put independent commissions in charge of the process. Convincing legislatures to relinquish their own district-drawing power may sound like a tall order, but public pressure is already making a difference. A bill to require independent commissions to oversee redistricting has passed the U. House of Representatives, and, as of February , there were proposals to create independent redistricting commissions pending in state legislatures.
A CAP report outlined a solution to gerrymandering that requires not only independent commissions, but also specific criteria to ensure fair districts. So, for example, if each party receives 50 percent of the vote, each party gets 50 percent of the seats. To this day, communities of color are heavily underrepresented, particularly in state legislatures. Voters should have a fair, open process to choose their politicians. But gerrymandering turns this principle on its head, allowing the politicians to choose their voters, often behind closed doors.
This situation is an affront to basic democratic values. If democracy better reflected the will of the people, the next generation of Americans would have more of the support they need, including more access to health care, high-quality early education, child care, and so much more.
Susan J. Start with pension tax repeal, working-class tax cut. House rejects Gov. Michael Sozan. Danielle Root. Colin Seeberger Director, Media Relations. Peter Gordon Director, Government Affairs. Madeline Shepherd Director, Government Affairs. In this article. InProgress Stay updated on our work on the most pressing issues of our time.
Programs for children are popular and have proven benefits. How partisan gerrymandering has blocked programs that benefit children. A recent CAP report explained how it works this way: At least once every decade, politicians redraw the lines of their electoral districts. North Carolina In North Carolina, polling by both a conservative state think tank and a Democratic-aligned polling firm found that a majority of North Carolinians support spending more money on K education.
The effects of gerrymandering—and how to fix it. Evidence From the U. William N. Evans and Craig L. William H.
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