Thread: Gerrymandering
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Old 02-17-2018, 09:05 AM   #35
Undertoad
Radical Centrist
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Cottage of Prussia
Posts: 31,423
Philadelphia detail:



I realize now how hard it is for us nincompoops to figure out whether the map is fair. The GOP one looked more fair at first, but failed a lot of deeper analysis.

It's weird how this one does divvy up Delaware County's reds and blues.

Gov. Wolf brought in a Tufts U. Expert to say that it was fair. Apparently the map "showed no partisan skew when compared to more than a billion randomly generated maps."

(That actually sets off a skepticism alarm bell in my head, because I don't know whether "average" compared to "random" is what is needed. Certainly a *directed* computer-generated map could easily divvy up the state 50-50. Certainly a *random* computer-generated map will draw up a lot of 50-50s. How far off 50-50 does the map need to be, to be considered non-partisan? 52-48 may be statistically average, but it wins elections.)

The bad news: after the next census, a new map will almost certainly be required...
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