Republican gerrymandering might come back to bite them

The GOP should take a long look at Irish history before gerrymandering their way to minority rule

An elephant.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AP Images, iStock)

Will Republicans come to regret their embrace of gerrymandered maps entrenching minority rule instead of seeking to appeal to the majority of the population? The history of such practices in Northern Ireland suggests that they might.

On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected GOP requests to overturn state court decisions that imposed balanced congressional district maps in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The move ensures the 2022 elections in those states will be fought within district boundaries that are largely untainted by the extraordinarily widespread practice of partisan gerrymandering.

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Saoirse Gowan

Saoirse Gowan is a writer and researcher with a focus on public policy from a left perspective. She was born and raised in Ireland by an American mother and Irish father, and moved to Washington, D.C. in 2018. She currently lives in Hyattsville, MD, and spends her free time on art and dancing.