The Goal: Increase competitive congressional districts throughout the country
The Issue: Each state has different rules for redistricting, which occurs every ten years following the national census. Redistricting divides or organizes an area into new political or school districts. Getting the politicians out of this process would be the main goal for each state.
Why?
When Democrats and Republicans control the redistricting process, they use voting records to carve up America, creating "safe districts" for themselves. These districts may be “safe” for one of these two political parties, but they are a danger to our chances of level, clear-headed policy making. They polarize rather than unify.
Safe districts are the root cause of our country's political illness, resulting in gridlock, confusion, and the presidential pendulum.
Potential Solution: Our country is stronger when our lawmakers are required to listen and understand our differences of perspective. This leads to a more even decision-making process.
Civil districts, not safe districts, would be the better path forward.
Civil Districts that represent a spectrum of citizen beliefs would be a positive way to increase dialogue and improve integrity in decision-making by lawmakers.
How?
Handing the redistricting process over to the professionals of the land grant and state public university would honor both the rural and urban nature of our country.
For example: in Washington State, the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, and Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman would work together to define logical congressional districts, without mining the voting records of citizens.
When Americans say things like, "Congress can't get anything done," it is because we citizens have allowed the use of our government’s rules to be used in a way that does not encourage compromise or civility. Safe districts harm civility.
The goal is more civil districts by 2030.