So I automated gerrymandering. It's not the most noble side-project I've worked on. But it's interesting how a few simple rules can emulate devious human behavior. Read on to find out how. :)
Every ten years the US Census Bureau counts up the nation's population. With these numbers congressional seats are reallocated among states and each state redraws the boundaries of their congressional districts. All this is to ensure that citizens have, more or less, equal representation in the House of Representatives.
Maintaining equal representation is a good thing, but state legislatures sometimes take advantage of it to ensure the party in power stays in power. This process, called gerrymandering, is accomplished through "packing and cracking" populations so that one party will win a disproportionate number of elections (compared to their actual public support).
My long term goal is to grade and rank each state's districting objectively (well, objectively according to criteria that I'll make up *shrug*). I decided, for my first step, to try my own hand at gerrymandering. I picked my home state of Oregon as the guinea pig.
Maintaining equal representation is a good thing, but state legislatures sometimes take advantage of it to ensure the party in power stays in power. This process, called gerrymandering, is accomplished through "packing and cracking" populations so that one party will win a disproportionate number of elections (compared to their actual public support).
My long term goal is to grade and rank each state's districting objectively (well, objectively according to criteria that I'll make up *shrug*). I decided, for my first step, to try my own hand at gerrymandering. I picked my home state of Oregon as the guinea pig.