You think our democracy is bad now…(the state of gerrymandering)

[ivwshane]

I knew gerrymandering was bad but I didn’t know the republicans had gone this extreme.

How the Supreme Court Unleashed a Brutal New Era of Gerrymandering

GOP mapmakers crushed the voting power of racial minorities with ruthless efficiency.

slate.com

Is Roberts just Naïve, stupid, or plain ol’ anti democratic?

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 Congress isn’t far behind. “The avenue for reform established by the Framers,” he assured readers, “and used by Congress in the past, remains open.”

Two years later, this passage reads like a twisted joke. A majority of legislatures are now carving up their states into biased districts that will entrench their party’s power through 2030. Republicans have thwarted reforms in several states that Roberts praised for “actively addressing” partisan gerrymandering. And they’ve blocked every bill in Congress—that grand “avenue for reform”—that would outlaw the practice nationwide. This redistricting cycle is poised to lock in a series of brutal gerrymanders that disproportionately favor Republicans, securing their control over purple states’ legislatures and the House of Representatives for years to come.

Here are some examples:

In North Carolina—a state almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans—the GOP has drawn a map that will award its candidates 11 out of 14 congressional seats as well as a supermajority in the legislature. In Wisconsin, a state that Joe Biden carried, Republicans have drawn themselves a legislative supermajority and six of eight congressional districts. In Texas, which Donald Trump carried by less than 6 points in 2020, Republicans gave themselves at least 24 of the states’ 36 congressional districts. Although people of color made up 95 percent of the state’s population growth over the past decade, GOP lawmakers mercilessly dilutedtheir votes, handing white residents control over a supermajority of congressional and legislative districts. In Alabama, Republicans packed Black voters into a single district, giving themselves a 6–1 majority in their House delegation. The state is roughly 27 percent Black, but thanks to the new map, its racial minorities will not vote in a competitive congressional election this decade. Georgia is still drawing new maps, but its GOP-controlled legislature is poised to give white voters control over as many districts as possible.

This part I found interesting because my initial gut feeling was this must be what the people voted for. Apparently though, the people in several states voted for the complete opposite.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that Republicans have gamed, rolled back, or repealed redistricting reforms in multiple red and purple states. In 2018, Utah voters approveda ballot initiative creating an independent redistricting commission; Republican lawmakers are about to override its recommendations and pass their own gerrymander. That same year, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that allowed a nonpartisan “state demographer” to draw legislative districts that are fair, competitive, and compact. In 2020, however, Republicans pushed a new, intentionally confusing ballot measure to eliminate this position, and voters narrowly approved it. In 2015, 71 percent of Ohio voters approved a ballot measure creating a bipartisan commission to draw legislative districts in 2021. Last month, Republican members of this commission sabotaged its work, kicking redistricting back to the GOP-controlled legislature—which is now drawing a radical gerrymander.


And the hits will keep coming. Florida voters amended their state constitution to require fair districts in 2010, but Republicans have stacked the Florida Supreme Court with partisans who are unlikely to enforce the new rules. Virginia voters approved a bipartisan redistricting commission in 2020, but this year, Republicans on the commission forced a deadlock, throwing redistricting to the conservative Virginia Supreme Court. When the court solicited requests for candidates to help with the maps, Democrats recommended nonpartisan academic experts, while Republicans recommended GOP operatives. The asymmetry remains stark as ever.

The ramifications will be huge and unfortunate for our democracy if things don’t change. With the electorate as ignorant as ever I don’t see things getting better for a long time. With complete deadlock at the federal level and Republican control at the state level, we will be a very weak and at the same time a very dangerous country.

Not discussed in the article but there is a plausible way to fix this but the window is incredibly small and therefore highly unlikely to happen.

First, the democratically controlled congress would have to remove the filibuster.

Second, Biden would need to expand the courts at all levels but especially the Supreme Court. Without this the Republican courts will simply find a way to nullify the next steps.

Third, democrats would need to pass a voting rights bill that at least requires a non partisan review and approval of redistricting.

Fourth, democrats would need to pass legislation that expands representation for the house. One rep per 700k people is ridiculous and that should either be doubled or even tripled (1 rep per 350k or 1 for 230k. This will force a redistricting of the entire country that would then need to be signed off or approved by the now balanced courts.

Without these measures I see the house as forever being held by republicans, voted in by a minority of the people. The senate might actually become more democratic as that will be the only way for people to get out from Republican control in states where gerrymandering has perverted democracy. The presidency, in theory, most likely will be held by democrats in larger and larger margins, assuming they don’t put up a candidate that play into Republican propaganda.

We are in some serious trouble unless this wave of stupidity and anti democratic thinking somehow disappears.

 

[SmCaudata]

Id like to see abolishment of districts. Everyone votes for a party and then legislators are assigned based on percantage of vote.

Or, pass a national law that states federal representation has to represent the total aggregate vote in the state.

Rural votes have a disproportionate weight in our "democracy".

 

[dank69]

Yeah but Democrats hate Dr. Seuss. Or something.

 

[vi edit]

3/5th's compromise still alive and kicking it seems.

 

[fskimospy]

This is somewhat less bad than the article makes it sound due to the fact that a lot of these gerrymanders were already in place from 2010 and so there aren't THAT many additional GOP seats to gerrymander. Also, states like New York finally have a Democratic trifecta and are going to return the favor. Of course they will still squeeze out a few more seats and even more annoyingly if results identical to 2020 happen and Republicans take the house solely due to gerrymandering the media will portray it as 'the voters rejected the Democrats' when really it was just an artifact of cheating.

That being said, gerrymandering is a cancer on our society and districts should be abolished entirely. Unfortunately I don't see a good way out for a lot of these states in that they've so gerrymandered their statehouses that it's impossible for anyone else to get elected to change the maps back to something more fair. As I've mentioned before, representative democracy essentially no longer exists in Wisconsin as it is effectively impossible for Democrats to EVER gain a majority there regardless of how well they do in elections.

The answer to this is to pack the supreme court and get them to declare gerrymandering unconstitutional. It strikes at the very basis for democracy and is incompatible with the idea that democracy should broadly reflect the will of the voters.

 

[soulcougher73]

Id like to see abolishment of districts. Everyone votes for a party and then legislators are assigned based on percantage of vote.

Or, pass a national law that states federal representation has to represent the total aggregate vote in the state.

Rural votes have a disproportionate weight in our "democracy".

Who would get to assign the legislators? I'm assuming the parties would, which might help get the parties united more so you don't end up with some Manchin types etc. Might help to push 3rd parties more i would imagine as well.

 

[fskimospy]

Who would get to assign the legislators? I'm assuming the parties would, which might help get the parties united more so you don't end up with some Manchin types etc. Might help to push 3rd parties more i would imagine as well.

Could do it the same way parties do it in parliamentary systems, with a list of candidates.

 

[woolfe9998]

Is Roberts just Naïve, stupid, or plain ol’ anti democratic?

Yes, it didn't seem to occur to him that once gerrymandered, it would be nigh impossible for the other party to gain control of the state legislature, even assuming the other party is reform minded. So far as the US Congress doing anything about it, I guess it never occurred to him that the party benefitting most from gerrymandering might, say, filibuster?

If you think that is naive, you should read his opinion in Citizens United. Money in the system? Corruption? I've never heard of such a thing!

 

[fskimospy]

Yes, it didn't seem to occur to him that once gerrymandered, it would be nigh impossible for the other party to gain control of the state legislature, even assuming the other party is reform minded. So far as the US Congress doing anything about it, I guess it never occurred to him that the party benefitting most from gerrymandering might, say, filibuster?

If you think that is naive, you should read his opinion in Citizens United. Money in the system? Corruption? I've never heard of such a thing!

Roberts' entire career is essentially an attack on voting rights.

Inside John Roberts’ Decades-Long Crusade Against the Voting Rights Act

Roberts remains at the center of an impassioned debate about voting rights in America.

www.politico.com

He may be somewhat moderate on other issues but it's very clear he hates voting rights with a passion.

 

[Thump553]

I guess the words "Government of the people, by the people" are no longer part of the Constitution. the Supreme Court decision back in the 1800s allowing gerrymandering was one of the most shameful decisions of the Court and should have been overruled years ago. Until around 2000 or so the Supreme Court was doing a pretty good job of enforcing the voting rights of citizens and adhering to the one man, one vote principle. But in the last 20 years or so they have totally abdicated their duty and their oaths to uphold the Constitution, and is instead becoming a partisan operation. The collapse of the Court to fulfill it's role in the government will hasten the conversion of the USA to being a bogus democracy.

There is still some hope that the state courts will enforce state constitutional provisions to void these sort of attacks on freedom. Wisconsin, for example, has a good, solid state constitution and the state supreme court justices are elected by state wide votes. If you live in Wi make sure you vote in ALL judicial elections and research the candidates.

These days I see very little positive indications for the continuation of this country in anything but name only.

 

[Sonikku]

Yes, it didn't seem to occur to him that once gerrymandered, it would be nigh impossible for the other party to gain control of the state legislature, even assuming the other party is reform minded.

I'm pretty fucking sure it did occur to him.

 

[tweaker2]

Minority party rule FTW! /s