WASHINGTON, March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The most recent round of redistricting demonstrated that partisan gerrymandering is practiced by both major parties and has become more common and more concerning. In response, the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) released a policy brief today concerned with partisan gerrymandering and its ability to undermine democratic principles. With today’s available technology, redistricting plans have become a means of rigging electoral contests in a way that yields increasingly predictable outcomes.
Let the Voters Choose: Solving the Problem of Partisan Gerrymandering addresses this problem so the political marketplace can function properly, and the principles of representative government can be maintained. The report was authored by Dr. Anthony J. Corrado, Professor of Government at Colby College, in coordination with CED’s Money in Politics Subcommittee Co-Chairs, Nathan Owen Rosenberg, Jane C. Sherburne, and Robert J. Kueppers.
“Both parties are guilty of abusing the redistricting process. Most states’ current redistricting laws allow incumbents to choose their voters, rather than voters to choose their representatives. CED’s sensible reform strategy is a step in the right direction for solving this issue,” said Robert J. Kueppers, former Vice Chairman and Deputy CEO of Deloitte LLP.
CED believes that a change in the designation of redistricting authority in most states is needed to effectively address the abuses in the current system. In the report, CED recommends:
- Using nonpartisan, independent redistricting commissions to draw district lines. A commission-based redistricting process will resolve the abuses evident in the current system.
- Ensuring an accurate count and high-quality census data. Redistricting efforts utilize data from the decennial census. As such, Congress needs to guarantee that the Census Bureau has adequate levels of funding and staffing to effectively carry out the 2020 census.
- Increasing transparency in the redistricting process. Doing so will allow the public to be aware of the decisions that are made and gain confidence that the outcome was not a result of secret deals or a rigging of the process in favor of one party.
“The study clarifies the challenges and opportunities facing our one-person, one-vote ideology as it works to create a climate conducive to nonpartisan redistricting, accurate census collection, and transparency in the redistricting process. The solutions identified in the report would go a long way to create a fair, competitive, and equitable electoral process,” said Jane C. Sherburne, Principal of Sherburne PLLC.
CED believes that reform of the redistricting process will make a valuable contribution to the quality of our democracy. While it will not address all the challenges that confront the electoral process, it will significantly reduce partisan and political influence in the drawing of district lines and thereby establish a foundation for a fairer, more equitable, and more competitive elections, which are better suited to the democratic principles that our elections must fulfill.
“Now is the time to end partisan gerrymandering. Both Democrats and Republicans have created a duopoly with very little incentive to address meaningful and equitable reform,” said Nathan Owen Rosenberg, founding partner of Insigniam.
View the new CED policy brief here.
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About the Committee for Economic Development:
Founded in 1942, the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, business–led public policy organization that delivers well–researched analysis and reasoned solutions to our nation’s most critical issues. CED’s work is grounded on seven core principles: sustainable capitalism, long–term economic growth, efficient fiscal and regulatory policy, competitive and open markets, a globally competitive workforce, equal economic opportunity, and nonpartisanship in the nation’s interest. Learn more at www.ced.org.
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SOURCE Committee for Economic Development
