I'm in Arizona, not NY. (I was born in Rochester, however). Having closely followed Arizona's independent redistricting cycle in 2011, my view is that there IS symbolic even if not tangible added value to having the NY IRC redraw Congressional lines now.
I appreciate Sam Wang's vigilance, calculations and perspective on redistricting.
The new map would, to many New Yorkers, feel more like it belongs to the people, not to the courts.
I am concerned that the goal of drawing a plan that "belongs to the people" is chasing a horse that has already left the barn. Having three different maps in three consecutive elections, with one overturned map along the way, is not a great recipe for stable representation. I do agree that if the New York legislature were to confine themselves to drawing themselves a somewhat less-extreme partisan advantage and make efforts to respect communities, then it would move toward your ideal.
A better place to pursue representation-of-the-people might not be congressional maps, but legislative maps. Congressional politics currently focuses on national power, whereas legislative politics focuses on self-governance. Also, legislative districts have fewer people. For both of these reasons, the exact composition of a legislative district can be quite consequential for community representation.
I'm in Arizona, not NY. (I was born in Rochester, however). Having closely followed Arizona's independent redistricting cycle in 2011, my view is that there IS symbolic even if not tangible added value to having the NY IRC redraw Congressional lines now.
I appreciate Sam Wang's vigilance, calculations and perspective on redistricting.
The new map would, to many New Yorkers, feel more like it belongs to the people, not to the courts.
I am concerned that the goal of drawing a plan that "belongs to the people" is chasing a horse that has already left the barn. Having three different maps in three consecutive elections, with one overturned map along the way, is not a great recipe for stable representation. I do agree that if the New York legislature were to confine themselves to drawing themselves a somewhat less-extreme partisan advantage and make efforts to respect communities, then it would move toward your ideal.
A better place to pursue representation-of-the-people might not be congressional maps, but legislative maps. Congressional politics currently focuses on national power, whereas legislative politics focuses on self-governance. Also, legislative districts have fewer people. For both of these reasons, the exact composition of a legislative district can be quite consequential for community representation.