On ‘Radio Times’: How better-drawn districts could strengthen democracy in Pa.

Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is often considered the poster child of gerrymandering. The district cuts through five counties and a number of municipalities including Chester, Upper Darby and Glenolden. (Map Source/Keystone Crossroads)
Pennsylvania is one of the most gerrymandered states in the U.S. This has many people advocating for redistricting reform in the state in order to have a more representative democracy.
Pennsylvania is one of the most gerrymandered states in the U.S. Gerrymandering is the process of manipulating the boundaries of a political district to favor one political party over another — often resulting in some very strangely shaped districts. This has many people advocating for redistricting reform in the state in order to have a more representative democracy.
On Monday’s “Radio Times,” host Marty Moss-Coane was joined by Carol Kuniholm, head of Fair Districts PA, a group working to find commonsense solutions in drawing district lines. She told Marty that her goal is to have a “commission that is separate from the legislature.” She went on to describe how data-mining adds to gerrymandering.
Jowei Chen, associate professor of political science at the University of Michigan, also appeared on the show. He described a Republican project called “Red Map,” saying that “the purpose was to take back control over state legislatures in the 2010-2012 redistricting cycle by winning state legislative seats, and then using these newfound legislative seats to control the redrawing of redistricting plans for this current decade.”
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