Calpundit: Gerrymandering; specifically, why it is gotten worse over the years. In NC, the 12th Congressional district has always been hotly disputed. In the NCGA maps, it’s that little yellow snake that runs from Charlotte northward towards Greensboro.

Key point:

Computer optimized gerrymandering has taken us to the point where no more than about 5% of House seats are seriously competitive in each election. The rest are mere shams, not much more real than elections in Iran or the old Soviet Union. What’s more, this lack of true elections has contributed heavily to the increasing polarization of politics, since there’s little need for legislators to compromise on anything if they know that their seat is completely safe.

After reading Kevin’s post, you’ll definately want to check out Is America Really Polarized? and Gerrymandering—the Great Contradiction over at Legal Fiction.