You don’t have to be a Texas Republican to enjoy this gerrymandering game
Those who are feeling distinctly burnt out at the end of a particularly harsh and unpleasant election cycle might do well to remember that, at heart, politics is all a big game. This essential truth has been brilliantly illustrated by Slate’s new gerrymandering jigsaw-puzzle game, which turns an ugly aspect of politics into a fun, challenging distraction. The point here is simple. States are divided into various congressional districts, each of which elects its own representative to the lower house of congress. But the boundaries that define these districts often make no sense from a geographical or geometrical standpoint. It’s more about lumping together specific kinds of voters, specifically ones who are more inclined to favor a particular political party over another. That controversial process is called gerrymandering, and it’s kept many a politician gainfully employed. When these districts are mapped out, they look like some kind of bizarre jigsaw puzzle.