Yahoo Movies How choices NC lawmakers make today can impact the fight over district lines for years
It’s redistricting time in North Carolina. That’s when lawmakers will slice and dice our state into election districts that account for population shifts. How those lines are drawn can tip the balance of power here and in Congress.
In a limited-run podcast from Under the Dome, we explore how lawmakers draw these maps, their impact on power in North Carolina’s political landscape and how new tools are changing the fight against gerrymandering. Our last episode, All eyes on Raleigh, is now available for streaming.
Listen to episodes of Monster: Maps, Math & Power in North Carolina as they’re released below, or subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
Part 1: So you want to make a map...
In the first episode, we explore the rules that govern how maps are supposed to be created once a decade – and why those rules often conflict. That friction is a prime reason why North Carolina sits center stage during battles over gerrymandering.
Part 2: What gerrymandering isn’t
In the second episode, we examine why defining gerrymandering is harder than it appears. Bizarre shapes don’t always translate to political shenanigans. And some of our own choices – about who we are and where we live – can complicate the picture.
Part 3: Math on the front lines
In the third episode, we dive deep into the math that could be key to quantifying and curbing gerrymandering. Some of that math dates back to secret U.S. atomic bomb labs. And although complex, its inner workings are built on some familiar ideas.
Part 4: All eyes on Raleigh
In the final episode, we unravel the politics of mapmaking today, the potential for reform and how the choices state legislators make will impact the legal fight over district lines for years.
More coverage from the N&O politics team
As redistricting kicks off in NC, here’s what we’ve seen so far and what’s still to come
With new redistricting maps in place, will NC’s 1 million Latinos get more attention?
Latino residents driving NC’s population growth. Will new political maps split them up?
With NC political maps about to be drawn, some lawmakers are leaving. Why it matters.
Will NC’s population growth help Republicans or Democrats? What Census data shows
NC lawmakers will not use racial and election data from the census to draw district maps
Many NC congressional districts are overpopulated. Here’s a look before redistricting
The impact of NC gerrymandering: Dividing races, cities and a campus
