Houston Chronicle

Another voice: Safe seats cause extremism

August 19 , 2008
The Washington Post Editorial

Partisanship is like the weather: Everybody complains, but no one does anything about it. But unlike bad weather, partisanship and the gridlock it helps bring to government could be reduced. The key is redistricting reform ...

Gerrymandering of congressional districts is an old skill that has been perfected with the advent of computers. Technology allows the drawing of increasing numbers of increasingly safe House seats after each decennial census. The problem has been exacerbated by moves in several states — most notoriously Texas — to engage in midcycle redistricting. Safe districts tend to drive candidates to the extremes, since their biggest worries come from primary challengers, not the general election.

Hence, polarization and gridlock, since compromise and moderation can be hazardous to lawmakers' political health. Incumbents of both parties protect themselves. Even in turbulent 2006, only 14 percent of House seats were decided by fewer than 10 percentage points.

The remedy would be to put redistricting in independent hands; to require that districts be drawn without regard to partisan concerns; and to prohibit redrawing between censuses. A dozen states have some form of nonpartisan commission or other process to draw district lines; nearly half ban mid-cycle redistricting.

A newly formed group, Americans for Redistricting Reform, has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to schedule hearings. There's not a lot of incentive for elected officials to change rules rigged in their favor, but we hope that Ms. Pelosi and others will recognize that self-interest must give way.

It would be helpful if the presumptive presidential nominees — one of whom will have to live with a polarized House — would push this issue. Both have spoken about the importance of redistricting reform; neither has been clear about whether federal legislation is warranted. ...

We couldn't agree more.