Excellent insights - really enjoyed the history lesson! I had no idea why Maine and Nebraska were different, nor the context that led to such laws being passed in the first place.
I had never considered that changing state boundaries was an option (and clearly the electorate doesn't, either), but it was illustrative to consider a world where states are morphed like congressional districts.
My big (possibly irrelevant) takeaway from this piece is that redistricting in response to the census feels like it's just too easy. Whether it's by district or by state, popular vote or electoral vote, the disadvantaged side will always complain. I'd rather live in a district with static boundaries and have the representation adapt to a changing populace than use a changing populace as an excuse for the ruling party to continue to gerrymander and boost its odds.
Excellent insights - really enjoyed the history lesson! I had no idea why Maine and Nebraska were different, nor the context that led to such laws being passed in the first place.
I had never considered that changing state boundaries was an option (and clearly the electorate doesn't, either), but it was illustrative to consider a world where states are morphed like congressional districts.
My big (possibly irrelevant) takeaway from this piece is that redistricting in response to the census feels like it's just too easy. Whether it's by district or by state, popular vote or electoral vote, the disadvantaged side will always complain. I'd rather live in a district with static boundaries and have the representation adapt to a changing populace than use a changing populace as an excuse for the ruling party to continue to gerrymander and boost its odds.