, Columnist
Gerrymandering Wasn't Meant to Protect Incumbents
Swing seats were the norm in the 19th century, not the exception. So what changed?
The original Gerry-Mander.
Image: Elkanah Tisdale/Boston CentinelThis article is for subscribers only.
The practice of drawing voting districts to benefit one party over another -- otherwise known as gerrymandering -- has become the unlikely focus of a bipartisan reform movement that counts prominent Republicans and Democrats in its ranks. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that challenges the voting districts drawn by Republicans in Wisconsin.
In the past, the courts have been reluctant to stop partisan gerrymandering, and the early signs suggest that the Supreme Court may not intervene. That reluctance is born of historical precedent: Partisan gerrymandering has been around since the earliest years of the republic. Why intervene now?