Welcome back! Last week, South Carolina asked the Supreme Court to let it use a Congressional map even though a lower court said the map amounted to racial gerrymandering. Let’s unpack what this means for democracy. First, the reason we have “redistricting” is that we believe everyone’s vote should be equal. If my vote is 1 of 100 in my district, and yours is 1 of 500 in your district, my vote is effectively more powerful. To avoid that, states redraw districts to equalize population.
Gerrymandering and the Unmaking of a…
Welcome back! Last week, South Carolina asked the Supreme Court to let it use a Congressional map even though a lower court said the map amounted to racial gerrymandering. Let’s unpack what this means for democracy. First, the reason we have “redistricting” is that we believe everyone’s vote should be equal. If my vote is 1 of 100 in my district, and yours is 1 of 500 in your district, my vote is effectively more powerful. To avoid that, states redraw districts to equalize population.