Political Quotes

“Americans know that Congress is broken, paralyzed by hyperpartisanship, fierce ideology, and unwillingness to respond to widely understood problems with broadly supported solutions. Why, at a time of growth and increasing diversity in America, does Congress not represent that change? Well, part of the answer is that's not how we're elected. Increasingly, we come from districts that are not just red or blue, but the colors are brighter, the divisions deeper. How can this be? The answer is to be found in hallways and back rooms of State capitals all all across America right now. After the census every 10 years, the great re-balancing occurs, to adjust legislative districts to changes in populations. Some States will win or lose congressional seats. Every district in the 43 States that have multi-Member districts will see some adjustment to balance out changes in population growth. But not all voters are equal. Some are more, some are less inclined to support the party in power or to support a particular incumbent. One thing that politicians can all agree upon is that their district should be safer, their party should be favored. The process of redistricting has been refined to a high art with the computer, very sophisticated survey research, a treasure trove of data on voter behavior. In short, the politicians are hard at work picking their voters in a way that will make it harder for voters, over the next 10 years, to pick their politicians.…”