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fandomhigh2017-10-27 10:17 am
imafuturist) wrote in fandomhigh2017-10-27 10:17 am
Civics, Friday, October 27, 2017
There was a little bowl of candy in the classroom as a nod to the upcoming holiday. Also because candy was amazing.
"Today we'll be discussing gerrymandering," Tony said. "Gerrymandering is when one political party redraws the voting districts in their favor in order to win where they normally would not."
Steve nodded earnestly. "You can tell a district has been gerrymandered--or 'microdistricted', the new version--because the lines are ridiculous, often skirting around neighborhoods or even individual houses in order to win an election. It's why it's so difficult to get a member of the House of Representatives fired: people might be moderate, but the districts have been drawn to cater to the most extreme elements of each party."
"The name comes from a political cartoon drawn in reference to the election of a governor in the 1800s. Where the district was redrawn to the point where it looked like a lizard or a salamander. The governor was named Gerry," Tony said. "So, gerrymander. Basically this method of voter disenfranchisement has been in place for as long as the system has been around."
And who didn't love a good portmanteau?
"You can either crack or pack a district," Steve said. "Cracking it means dividing it up to dilute a electorate's effect. Packing means shoving all of one's party into a small district and then taking the rest. It's why you can end up with a state that votes Democrat in Presidential elections and has 23 Republican Congressmembers."
"The process is so common that the race for the state governor can make or break a party since the people in charge draw the boundaries for the next election, Tony said. "Which is why every single election is important in the long run."
"Today we're giving you maps and population counts for a few states with a manageable number of districts," Steve said. "So not California, Texas, or Florida. Your job is to draw out districts in a way that doesn't look like a salamander, okay?"
"Oh, and take a piece of candy!" Tony added. "Or we'll just end up eating it ourselves."
"Today we'll be discussing gerrymandering," Tony said. "Gerrymandering is when one political party redraws the voting districts in their favor in order to win where they normally would not."
Steve nodded earnestly. "You can tell a district has been gerrymandered--or 'microdistricted', the new version--because the lines are ridiculous, often skirting around neighborhoods or even individual houses in order to win an election. It's why it's so difficult to get a member of the House of Representatives fired: people might be moderate, but the districts have been drawn to cater to the most extreme elements of each party."
"The name comes from a political cartoon drawn in reference to the election of a governor in the 1800s. Where the district was redrawn to the point where it looked like a lizard or a salamander. The governor was named Gerry," Tony said. "So, gerrymander. Basically this method of voter disenfranchisement has been in place for as long as the system has been around."
And who didn't love a good portmanteau?
"You can either crack or pack a district," Steve said. "Cracking it means dividing it up to dilute a electorate's effect. Packing means shoving all of one's party into a small district and then taking the rest. It's why you can end up with a state that votes Democrat in Presidential elections and has 23 Republican Congressmembers."
"The process is so common that the race for the state governor can make or break a party since the people in charge draw the boundaries for the next election, Tony said. "Which is why every single election is important in the long run."
"Today we're giving you maps and population counts for a few states with a manageable number of districts," Steve said. "So not California, Texas, or Florida. Your job is to draw out districts in a way that doesn't look like a salamander, okay?"
"Oh, and take a piece of candy!" Tony added. "Or we'll just end up eating it ourselves."
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Voting still kind of confused her, but she figured that as the princess of the Junior class, she could make things as geometrically and mathematically satisfying as she pleased. She had that power now.
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Re: Draw District Boundaries
In her experience, most humans were pretty weird already.
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Re: Draw District Boundaries
"What's a corn?"
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Re: Draw District Boundaries
That was... admittedly very human, Peridot supposed.
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Re: Draw District Boundaries
She hoped, anyway.
"I don't know if I'll ever understand your species," she sighed.
Give her a few months back at the barn in her reality, and she'd be growing corn and talking to pumpkins like a pro.
Re: Draw District Boundaries
Eh. Maybe.
Re: Draw District Boundaries
You were all crazy, Paris. All of you.