Confirmation of the effects of gerrymandering in NC

[mnhtnbb]

A new study by researchers at Duke University shows the extent to which Republican legislators drew North Carolina's U.S. congressional districts in their party's favor in 2011.

<snip>

In 2012, 51 percent of North Carolina voters cast their ballots for a Democratic U.S. House candidate, yet only four out of 13 seats, or 31 percent, went to Democrats. Mattingly and Vaughn used randomized probability distributions to simulate the redistricting process 100 times, adhering to three federal requirements: that the districts be connected, compact, and come as close as possible to containing the same number of residents. Then they ran simulations, using the exact votes from the 2012 elections.

Their results? An average of 7.6 winning Democrats -- almost double the actual number.

The findings led them to conclude that the 2011 redistricting is arguably "at odds with the will of the people" and that the system needs "checks and balances to ensure that democracy is served."

In this year's elections, Republicans extended their domination of North Carolina's congressional delegation, unseating one Democrat to control 10 of the 13 seats, or 77 percent of the representatives, while winning only 55 percent of the vote. The discrepancy between Democratic vote percentage (44) and the party's slice of North Carolina's U.S. representatives (23) is 21 percent, slightly higher than in 2012.

And this is no isolated phenomenon: As Republicans have taken over state legislatures across the South, their party is overrepresented in Congress due to gerrymandered voting districts state lawmakers created in 2011.


http://www.southernstudies.org/2014/12/study-shows-how-partisan-politics-trump-representa.html

[rock]

1. That is definitely not Democracy

I've been saying for some time that the republican party is not one fit for a Democracy!

[mnhtnbb]

2. I sure wish Dems would start calling out Repubs

on their BS support of democracy on a regular basis.

Of course, the problem is getting that information across to people.

But no wonder people won't come out to vote. I was really disappointed in Dem turnout in Nov in
NC. I really, really thought more Dems would show up at the polls.

[yeoman6987]

3. They need to go back to using counties

If you live in Baltimore County, you vote for the candidates running in that county. If you live in Anne Arundel County you vote for that campaign. It is strange to vot with voters that are 100 miles away and expect to be represented. Same with all states. Just use districts or even zip codes. That is the fairest way.

[Gman]

4. If you think this is bad. You ain't seen nothing yet

Wait for 2021 redistricting.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I am hoping the pendulum will swing the other way by then.

It usually does--just cannot predict how long it will take.

[Cal33]

6. If Democrats continue doing nothing about Republican dirty and fraudulent election tricks, they

will happily continue to practice them with a smile and smirk on their faces. They have
everything to gain.

Why not suggest to the Democratic powers that be to demand from the Republicans
that we all use the ways proposed by Yeoman: count them either by districts or
zip codes.

And this is just the beginning. There are dozens of other dirty Republican tricks. Have
all of them changed. Don't beg. Words alone won't help. Psychopaths understand only
threats, backed up with force. There's got to be the threat of retaliation of some kind.
Think about it, create it, and use it when necessary. Psychopaths are of a different breed.
We are not dealing with normal people.