Redistricting: Problem and Proposed Solution

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Stephen Unger <unger () cs columbia edu>
Date: February 15, 2007 11:22:46 AM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>, ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Redistricting: Problem and Proposed Solution

Redistricting is a perennial (used to be every decade, but now
cropping up more often) problem that significantly distorts the
political arena. For example, there are a number of states where,
despite having received many fewer total votes in elections for the  
House,
the Republicans have won most of the seats as a result of
gerrymandering.  (Of course BOTH parties have done this sort of thing
for two centuries.)

Setting rules for redistricting is very difficult, even in
principle. But there is a very nice mathematical solution that is
inherently neutral,leaving no room for manipulation.

I have just posted an article describing the problem and solution on my
blog at:
http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~unger/myBlog/endsandmeansblog.html

(An earlier posting on the blog is a somewhat revised version of my
e-voting article.)

Steve
............


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