Drawn to Extremes

Confused by electoral map chaos? Political scientist sets us straight.

States' gerrymandered congressional maps have always looked like they were drawn by a preschooler wielding an Etch A Sketch. This year, it seems the youngster downed a king-size bag of Skittles first.

Texas and California recently redrew their districts in hopes of scooping up five seats for Republicans and Democrats, respectively. Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Maryland are among the other states that have punched and counterpunched in “what’s become a bare-knuckles political brawl,” says James Gimpel, professor of government and politics and an expert on redistricting.

Efforts to tilt the U.S. House of Representatives’ razor-thin GOP advantage this November have torpedoed candidacies, caused intra-party schisms and confused voters.

In a conversation with Terp, Gimpel explains what this means for the electorate now and later, and why he still has hope for democracy.