AI doesn't solve the problem because the problem isn't drawing lines on the map. It's deciding what to base the lines on.
If every district is competitive, a small popularity swing for a party is multiplied in legislative elections. If they're not competitive, the results are guaranteed and candidates don't need to work to attact voters. Packing minorities into districts can be discriminatory. Diluting them in majority white districts can be discriminatory.
The technocratic solution is to take poll data, predict the overall vote totals, then gerrymander in favour of that. That's still rigging the election and isn't viable long term.
The real solution is to abolish territorial represenation.
That's the problem though. You can't create the algorithm until you decide what the percentages and priorities should be. If we knew that, the people drawing the districts would already be doing it.
It wouldn't be a linear "algorithm>line>election" process either. Just as you can predict the election from the districts, you can predict the districts from the algorithm. Once the debate shifts from what the lines should be to what the algorithm should be, all you're doing is complicating the data analysis. Instead of some guys drawing the lines they want, they determine the algorithm that will give them the lines.
At some point that local region has to have political power over itself and/or elect higher representation.
That's what federalism is for. And municipal governments.
It's the same either way. You vote for the algorithm that favours your party vs you vote for the election commission that favours your party.
You're assuming it's possible to discuss these things in the abstract. It's not. "What people want out of their representation" is the same as who they want.
It will take literally 10 minutes for this to turn into a partisan pissing patch. Liberals will want represenation of minorities. Conservatives won't want them given any special treatment.
If abstracting it were possible, and people decided what they want without knowing the consequences, the outcome would likely be worse. Competitive elections sound good in theory, but it's safe spots where 3rd parties can emerge as the alternative.
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AI doesn't solve the problem because the problem isn't drawing lines on the map. It's deciding what to base the lines on.
If every district is competitive, a small popularity swing for a party is multiplied in legislative elections. If they're not competitive, the results are guaranteed and candidates don't need to work to attact voters. Packing minorities into districts can be discriminatory. Diluting them in majority white districts can be discriminatory.
The technocratic solution is to take poll data, predict the overall vote totals, then gerrymander in favour of that. That's still rigging the election and isn't viable long term.
The real solution is to abolish territorial represenation.
deleted by creator
That's the problem though. You can't create the algorithm until you decide what the percentages and priorities should be. If we knew that, the people drawing the districts would already be doing it.
It wouldn't be a linear "algorithm>line>election" process either. Just as you can predict the election from the districts, you can predict the districts from the algorithm. Once the debate shifts from what the lines should be to what the algorithm should be, all you're doing is complicating the data analysis. Instead of some guys drawing the lines they want, they determine the algorithm that will give them the lines.
That's what federalism is for. And municipal governments.
deleted by creator
It's the same either way. You vote for the algorithm that favours your party vs you vote for the election commission that favours your party.
You're assuming it's possible to discuss these things in the abstract. It's not. "What people want out of their representation" is the same as who they want.
It will take literally 10 minutes for this to turn into a partisan pissing patch. Liberals will want represenation of minorities. Conservatives won't want them given any special treatment.
If abstracting it were possible, and people decided what they want without knowing the consequences, the outcome would likely be worse. Competitive elections sound good in theory, but it's safe spots where 3rd parties can emerge as the alternative.
deleted by creator