Reading this and this is more or less forcing me to remind folks of something: it is, in point of fact, perfectly legitimate for a political party to use its control of a state legislature to screw over the opposition party. Note the use of the term ‘legitimate.’ I’m not saying that it’s nice or decent or even smart; merely that this is the life that we have chosen.
Case in point: Illinois legislature was, and is, heavily Democratic. In 2010 the Republicans gained four federal Congressional seats, kept a fifth that they were expected to lose. In 2011 the state legislature, having to redraw the maps anyway because Illinois was losing a seat*, engaged in ruthless redistricting. In 2012 the Republicans lost five federal Congressional seats** And that is how it works. Partisan affiliation is not a protected class. You identify with a political party, you take the political party’s lumps. Simple as that. Don’t like that particular set of lumps? Switch parties: maybe the new set of lumps will be more to your liking.
…You know what I mean.
Moe Lane
*This has been happening a LOT to traditionally Democratic-controlled states. Something about how the Blue state model isn’t exactly conducive to long-term economic and population growth.
**Note that none of this is brought up when Democrats complain about Republican gerrymandering.
I do wish there was a way for the folks on the losing side (on both sides of the political spectrum) to get representation, though. I mean, libertarian-leaning Republicans probably make up a quarter or more of the base, but are represented in congress by what? Rand Paul and a handful of House members? It would be nice for me to actually be able to vote for someone in the House, unlike my current Rep, Lamar SOPA Smith, which will require a cold day in Hell before I’ll vote for him.
Basically I’d like to completely remove geographic regions, and let me vote for someone who actually represents my values.
Well, geography has its place. I understand that it’s critically important when Congress is dealing with water rights, for example.
That’s .. more like the Brit model, yes?
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All votes are for a party, parties divide the seats based on the total vote .. seats are handed out based on *internal to the party* rules…?
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Better hope the census doesn’t get pocked with.
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Mew
Replying to myself .. bad form, I know.
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To the point of “removing geographic boundaries”, the real answer is “laboratories of democracy at work”, i.e. if you don’t like the way your current State is doing things, you can “vote with your feet”.
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I know I am.
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Mew
Where are you moving to Cat? Also “voting with your feet” has really screwed up Virginia, once a reliable Redstate, all of the people moving there from Maryland and New York, ostensibly to escape high taxes, are about to vote for McAuliffe who will make Virginia more like Maryland.
I’ll let you know when we get there…
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As for VA, this is more an indictment of the weakness of culture .. It’s a failure to assimilate, to beat the n00bs over the head until they get that VA ain’t where they came from, eh?
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Look at TX.
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Mew
Here’s where I mention my proposed anti-gerrymandering Constutional amendment:
No Congressional district shall be drawn that does not cover at least half of its state’s land area inside a region bounded by east-west lines through the northernmost and southernmost points of the district, and north-south lines through the easternmost and westernmost points of the district.
Quite a few states have more than two Congressional districts.
In my state it’d be hard to get “at least half of the state’s territory” since we have 9 districts.
I rather like the idea of pie-shaped wedges, starting in the center of either the most populous city or the state capitol (the two rarely are the same, eh?) and leading out to the state borders.
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Make the Reps represent a *diverse* community!
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Mew
This wouldn’t fly in Congressional elections, but perhaps it would in state elections: proxy voting. Instead of dividing a state into voting districts, make all of the candidates “at large” and let any voter select any candidate. If Candidate A gets 50,000 votes, then Candidate A votes their 50,000 proxies in the State Assembly.