Max Stearns: How Gerrymandering Broke American Democracy
Partisan gerrymandering isn’t new—it goes back to Governor Elbridge Gerry’s salamander-shaped map in Massachusetts. But today’s computer-driven maps take it to another level.
In this clip, Max Stearns explains how gerrymanders compress opposition voters, spread majorities across more districts, and leave only a handful of competitive races. In fact, Pew Research Center reported in 2024 that just 40 out of 435 House seats were competitive.
The result? Primaries matter more than general elections, states turn redder or bluer, and both parties play the game—though Republicans often do it better.
In gerrymandered elections, we don’t choose our representatives. They choose us.
#Gerrymandering #Democracy #MaxStearns
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