More on the issue of gerrymandering and its effect on elections:
Gerrymandering adds both to the homogeneity of districts and to making low-turnout primaries dominated by ideological activists the only meaningful elections.
More broadly, gerrymandering moves House and state-legislative elections away from any meaningful responsiveness to the will of the people. And the pattern of lawmakers choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their lawmakers creates more disaffection and cynicism among the public.
I actually agree that gerrymandering to make a district "competitive" increases disaffection and cynicism. In Baily there are literally neighbors who live across the street from each other in separate districts to foment "competitive" districts. Look at State Senate District 16. There are citizens of 4 different county governments (Gilpin, Boulder, Jefferson & Denver) served by a single State Senator in the General Assembly. Madness I tell you, utter madness.
