Partisan gain vs. communities of interest

[muon2]

And I mean, Iowa manages to use computer redistricting just fine I think an algorithm, finely-tuned enough, can produce a map more fairly than inherently biased humans.

IA doesn't really use computer redistricting any more than any other state. They have an independent state agency assigned to draw the maps using strict criteria. Like other states a computer is used to measure compliance with the criteria, not unlike using DRA to measure voting age populations. IA does take the additional step of finding the combination of whole counties with the lowest population deviation, but that just speeds up what was done by hand in prior decades.

[Bacon King]

And I mean, Iowa manages to use computer redistricting just fine I think an algorithm, finely-tuned enough, can produce a map more fairly than inherently biased humans.

IA doesn't really use computer redistricting any more than any other state. They have an independent state agency assigned to draw the maps using strict criteria. Like other states a computer is used to measure compliance with the criteria, not unlike using DRA to measure voting age populations. IA does take the additional step of finding the combination of whole counties with the lowest population deviation, but that just speeds up what was done by hand in prior decades.

Ah, fair enough.

Neither, I believe in PR without constituencies.

But then you get legislators who represent nothing but their parties.

My semi-solution is to create huge regional constituencies to accommodate for cultural variation.

But then how do you draw those regional constituencies?

[Antonio the Sixth]

NOTA : A map with which parties get their fair share of seats according to popular vote.

Or even better, no map at all and switch to PR.

[jimrtex]

It should be chosen by the voters.

Possible schemes:

(1) Permit variable-sized districts.  Each representative's influence in the legislature would be proportional to the population that he represents.   If the target size of a district (state population/number of representatives) were 100,000 and a district had 80,000 people, its representative would have 0.80 votes.

Reapportionment following a census would consist primarily of calculating new voting strength of a district.

To prevent a district from being too small or too large, range limits would be set (such as ²/₃ to 1¹/₃ the ideal size).  If a district became too large it would be divided in half.  If it became too small its territory would be assigned to adjacent districts.

Voters could vote to move their area to a new district, if this would improve equality between the districts, or at least leave both districicts withnin some moderate range (eg ⁴/₅ to 1¹/₅).

If a district were too large, it would be divided.  There could be a procedure where various divisions were proposed and voted on.  This would ensure the two resulting districts would be at least minimum size.

If a district was too small after a census, its residents would choose which neighboring district to move their areas too.  The least populous district would be eliminated first, letting its residents possibly join neighboring underpopulated districts that would then be protected from elimination.