| Politics ain't beanbag, the old saying goes, and our once-a-decade system of redistricting — redrawing legislative and congressional district maps according to new census data — is perhaps the most cutthroat feature of our democracy. Every 10 years, the party in power in each state legislature has traditionally been able to draw new district maps for state and federal officeholders to its advantage. And then some. The results typically distort — and often pervert — majority rule no matter which party is in power. The Post Editorial Board spent weeks examining how Democrats and Republicans have lately carved up states in ways that consolidate their own power while disadvantaging their rivals. The maps that result — which you can study closely in a vivid mapping experience in the editorial — help explain how politics, in its most ruthless form, is practiced. A better way, the board argues, is to leave the map-drawing to independent commissions so that redistricting reflects the will of the voters, not the two parties. Though a few states have gone that route, politicians in most states are extremely reluctant to relinquish that power. The result, the board writes, is a system that enables those in power to "impose radical ideologies, spurn compromise and ignore the majority's wishes." Happy Sunday to all, and thank you for reading. Maps in North Carolina, Illinois, Texas and Alabama show the worst gerrymandering sins. They can be fixed. By the Editorial Board ● Read more » | | | | Millions of Americans also dreamed of going back to life as it was before World War I. And what is "normal," anyway? Audio Article ● By Benjamin Dreyer ● Read more » |    | | | Her platinum jubilee is a moment for more than a victory lap. By Autumn Brewington ● Read more » | | | | What option did the child have when she'd been served food she didn't choose? By Kelly Alexander and Joshua Reno ● Read more » | | | | | | Right-wing propagandists are manipulating immigrants who have limited access to reliable information in their primary languages. By Minh-Thu Pham ● Read more » | | | | | Everyone thought big cities would make Democrats unbeatable. That isn't right. By David Byler ● Read more » | | | What used to be a creative labor of love has turned into a repetitive chore. Bring on the boxed mac and cheese! Audio Article ● By Dawn Perry ● Read more » | | | | Beth Macy, the author of "Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America," argues that harm-reduction practices and safe consumption sites can provide a path out of the opioid epidemic. 'Please, Go On' Podcast ● By James Hohmann ● Read more » | | | | | |
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