Since the country’s inception, politicians have manipulated district lines for partisan or racial advantage. It doesn’t have to be that way.

In a democracy, the views of the people should count equally, and the representatives they elect should be responsive to their needs.  Recently, gerrymandering has become an even more potent tool for certain groups to gain outsized political influence.  Advances in technology allow partisans to draw voters into and out of districts with surgical precision, aided by intensifying partisanship and more predictable voting patterns.  As a result, it’s easier than ever for the “ins” to contort redistricting plans to stifle the political voices of the “outs.”