4 ms·

In most countries you just hire some officials as part of an independent agency and tell them to create reasonable districts based on geographic and social grou

In most countries you just hire some officials as part of an independent agency and tell them to create reasonable districts based on geographic and social groupings, and it works fine. I'm not sure if the problem is that the polticians are afraid of giving up the power to control the districts, or if the extremely adversarial nature of American politics means that Americans mistrust their goverment and their fellow citizens so much they don't believe that the possibility of that government making non-partisan decisions even exists.

YPPH 4y ago
In Australia Gerrymandering isn't even part of political discourse. An independent committee composed of the Electoral Commissioner, the state or territory Surveyor-General and the state or territory Auditor-General make the decisions. They may invite submissions from the public and political parties but they do not pander to politicians. The boundaries also generally make sense.
jjtheblunt 4y ago
> In most countries... How do you calculate that? (not joking: i don't know where one looks for such data)
- jonp888 4y ago
  Well, yes, I don't know, I'm only going off never having heard of gerrymandering being a major problem in any other country. Plus that in general America seems to involve politics in decisions which are more usually left to officials to do in an, at least theoretically, non-partisan way. I don't know of any other country in which judges are elected by popular vote, or Ambassadors are appointed and approved by politicians instead of being professional government officials(this one I am pretty sure is unique).
  - jjtheblunt 4y ago
    it's easy to find it elsewhere (i.e., American politicians aren't the only ones) The second link below is "fun": seems gerrymandering in France correlates to the French revolution. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2021/10/21/the-tories-are-gerrymandering-democracy-to-turn-england-blue/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2021/10/21/the-tories-a... https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/14/what-french-revolution-teaches-us-about-dangers-gerrymandering/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/14/what-frenc...
budoso 4y ago
I think it’s two things: 1. What you said, politicians have little incentive to give up power on gerrymandering. 2. The American political system is designed to be adversarial, and adding an “independent” agency with that much power ~feels~ like it invites distrust and corruption.

YPPH 4y ago

In Australia Gerrymandering isn't even part of political discourse. An independent committee composed of the Electoral Commissioner, the state or territory Surveyor-General and the state or territory Auditor-General make the decisions. They may invite submissions from the public and political parties but they do not pander to politicians. The boundaries also generally make sense.

jjtheblunt 4y ago

> In most countries... How do you calculate that? (not joking: i don't know where one looks for such data)

jonp888 4y ago
Well, yes, I don't know, I'm only going off never having heard of gerrymandering being a major problem in any other country. Plus that in general America seems to involve politics in decisions which are more usually left to officials to do in an, at least theoretically, non-partisan way. I don't know of any other country in which judges are elected by popular vote, or Ambassadors are appointed and approved by politicians instead of being professional government officials(this one I am pretty sure is unique).
- jjtheblunt 4y ago
  it's easy to find it elsewhere (i.e., American politicians aren't the only ones) The second link below is "fun": seems gerrymandering in France correlates to the French revolution. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2021/10/21/the-tories-are-gerrymandering-democracy-to-turn-england-blue/ https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2021/10/21/the-tories-a... https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/14/what-french-revolution-teaches-us-about-dangers-gerrymandering/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/14/what-frenc...

budoso 4y ago

I think it’s two things: 1. What you said, politicians have little incentive to give up power on gerrymandering. 2. The American political system is designed to be adversarial, and adding an “independent” agency with that much power ~feels~ like it invites distrust and corruption.