Compare and contrast California's 2011 Statewide Redistricting Process Essay

Compare and contrast California's 2011 Statewide Redistricting Process with the one done in 2001. Will the new process live up t - Essay Example Would 2011 redistricting when appropriately done help to ensure that every voter is equally represented unlike previous redistricting of 2001? This paper thus compares the 2011 and 2001 redistricting of California State. Introduction As compared to 2001 redistricting the 2011 redistricting disagreements appears to start again in California (Rosen). This has been sparked by the recently redistricting reform proposals that were offered by Governor of California state, Democratic legislators as well as lobby groups and ordinary citizens. Throughout their proposals, these legislatures and activists embrace that redistricting should be done by an independent commission. According to researches, this observations redistricting by 2011 would result to be one of the best ever experienced California. This would be because the opportunity the process would allow citizens to decide democratically the mapping of their administration through the independent commission elected by their leaders bas ed on the authority vested to them (Maviglio 38). These commissions are as established by the people and the federal government. For instance: Advisory Commission: establishes suggestions which are handed over to legislative. These suggestions can be adopted or rejected by the legislature. The advisory commission is practiced in Vermont as well as in Maine. Primary commissions: this team has the independent mandate to formulate and implement redistricting projections. States that practice this type of arrangement are New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Alaska, Arkansas, Washington, and California (Cressman 6). Backup Commissions: convenes only when the legislature has failed to enact redistricting program. In such events, this commission has the capacity of drawing new district boundaries. This type of commission is active in Connecticut Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and Mississippi. Thomas of Brookings Institute observes that after every ten as stipulated by the governme nt of the United States, a census is conducted in the all States which is used to readjust population figures throughout the country (Statewide Database). These established population figures would then applied to determine redistricting which is the re-drawing of state legislative district and Congressional leadership. Evaluations indicate that immediately the census outcomes have been released, states would be commissioned to carry out the redistricting activities. In considerable number of states the activities of redistricting are led by the state governor and legislature. In California boundaries determine administrative lines of Board of Equalization districts and Assembly. Currently, the California State Legislature draws those lines themselves. However, due to politicization this has resulted to decreased number of persons turning out for census as well as redistricting (Bickerstaff 45). For instance, Thomas of Brookings Institute (Maviglio 43) intimated that some Congressio nal Districts are systematically crafted inkblots. In such districts, voters might be made to think that they choose elected officials, however it’s the elected leaders who choose them. However, the legislative redistricting, carried out by an independent commission comprising partisan appointees, would be less egregious. This arrangement has received consent from political scientists who agree that an independent co