The state of gerrymandering in America

Should legislators be allowed to draw electoral districts favoring one party over another?

When the Supreme Court reconvenes in October, it will hear a case on Wisconsin's Republican-drawn congressional districts, which plaintiffs say are biased against non-Republican voters.

Later on, the Court will consider whether Texas Republicans intentionally drew congressional districts that disenfranchised voters of color.

MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke with Emily Bazelon, a staff writer at the New York Times, and Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, about the historic gerrymandering cases, and the future of gerrymandering in American politics.

"At the moment ... the Supreme Court has never struck down a redistricting plan for partisan gerrymandering, and so we have a system that effectively allows that kind of taking of partisan advantage," Bazelon said. "And the question is whether it is truly constitutional, or whether there should be some kind of limit so that one party can't entrench itself in power ... by drawing maps in a way that helps its candidates and hurts the other sides."

Use the audio player above to hear the full segment.