- cross-posted to:
- politics@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- politics@beehaw.org
Under legal pressure to address Wisconsin’s “Swiss cheese” and oddly shaped districts, the Legislature approved redrawn maps that promise to create a new dynamic in a state known for its pivotal role in national politics.
Wisconsin’s dinosaur-shaped legislative district could soon be history.
The curiously drawn district and other oddities associated with the state’s extreme gerrymandering would be erased in new voting maps passed this week by the Wisconsin Legislature.
A state Supreme Court decision finally forced Wisconsin Republicans to cede an advantage they enjoyed for more than a decade with maps that made the state one of the nation’s foremost examples of gerrymandering.
Honestly, seeking compactness/shortest lines can create gerrymandered districts too. It can result neighborhoods or population centers being split into multiple districts and having their power diluted.
Drawing convenient/straight boarders can have lasting negative impacts. Just ask the British.
The solution is… Complicated. David Wasserman did a great piece on this many years ago for 538. It’s worth a read
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/hating-gerrymandering-is-easy-fixing-it-is-harder/