Short-term advancements in data science combined with long-term shifts in how Americans vote are making swing districts increasingly rare.
State legislatures and political commissions control the redistricting process for the majority of the country. So far, 20 states have finished redrawing their congressional maps, which have produced only a handful of competitive House seats.
“It is almost a survival strategy for political parties within the states,” said Ken Kollman, a political science professor at the University of Michigan. “Competitive districts might be in someone’s interest — it might be in the interest of the public, it might be in the interest of our democracy, it might be in the interest of moderate policies moving forward — but it’s not in the interests of the specific state political parties.”
Political parties burned by recent wave elections — like Republicans in 2018 when Democrats took control of the House — may have gotten skittish about drawing risky seats. Kollman said a House map […]
The most important fact that I spotted in this article, deserving of justice regarding redistricting and the VRA.
“Republicans redrew districts around Atlanta and Texas’ major cities to remove competition over suburban territory.
In Texas and Georgia, that would mean safer seats for both sides, but a net gain for Republicans. (Both states currently face federal lawsuits alleging they violated the Voting Rights Act in drawing those lines.)
The elimination of competition is the point. It benefits both major parties. The concept that two political parties can represent the will of 300 million people is ludicrous on its face.