Democracy Undone ; the More District Lines Are Redrawn, the Fewer Choices Voters Have

Summary

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BY ANY political measure, the 2006 battle for control of the House of Representatives should be a dramatic contest. The majority party, which has been secure in its power for a decade, has been battered by a round of indictments, rising energy prices and controversy over the administration's decision to wage war in Iraq. The minority is aggressively recruiting candidates, raising massive amounts of money and launching daily attacks on its adversary.

But no need to hold your breath to find out the outcome of this epic struggle. The reason: The electoral system is rigged.

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Extract

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Democracy Undone ; the More District Lines Are Redrawn, the Fewer Choices Voters Have

Not rigged in the old-fashioned, ballot-stuffing sort of way. Rigged in the sense that operatives in both parties have become so adept at drawing congressional districts that most House seats aren't even up for grabs nowadays.

Redistricting - the once-a-decade process in which each state redraws House seats based on the most recent U.S. Census data - has become more influential in determining congressional races than advertising, political speechifying or grass-roots ac...

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