AllSides Balanced Search

Every decade, our voting districts are modified according to the census data. While every district has roughly the same population, they are often drawn (or gerrymandered) in such a way to favor the incumbent, a political party, or any group. But does this serve us? And what can be done? This conversation examines the way districts are done and we explore how it could work better. It’s wonky,

A three-part series by Dan McLaughlin in National Review surveys the prospects for gerrymandering reform following a year in which Democrats, rather than Republicans as widely predicted, appear to have gained ground overall in the redistricting process. McLaughlin nicely lays out the history of partisan dynamics on this issue, offers an effective critique of Democrats’ chief bills in Congress

Republicans in a number of states are engaged in artful redrawing of congressional-district boundaries for their own benefit. This has provoked cries of outrage from Democrats, who, as a matter of deep principle, would prefer that the boundaries be drawn to favor their candidates instead. Indeed, that is exactly what Democrats have done wherever they have had the power to do so. In my home

Toward the end of the last decade, in Rucho v. Common Cause, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed justices effectively abolished constitutional limits on partisan gerrymandering. But don’t worry about it, Chief Justice John Roberts told the country: You, the citizens, can fix this problem yourselves! States “are actively addressing the issue on a number of fronts,” Roberts promised, and