The Redistricting Game

With all this talk about redistricting in Los Angeles, it was timely that USC is releasing The Redistricting Game next week. Here's an interactive, multi-user online tool to allow anyone and everyone the opportunity to try to form districts they would like to see in various levels of the game. The lead researcher on this project is Chris Swain, who is part of a movement to use games to educate society and bring about social change.

As the Chronicle of Higher Education notes:

The Redistricting Game is an online multiplayer game, open to everyone, that debuts Monday, It allows people to compete in various redistricting scenarios, also known as "gerrymandering." Players can try to manipulate district lines to see how this produces a skewed victory for either party. The game allows politicians to choose voters, rather than letting voters choose their politicians, its designers say.

The game also provides details on a variety of real-life reform measures, including a "fair play" law introduced in Congress by Rep. John S. Tanner, Democrat of Tennessee. It also provides an online forum for players to discuss these issues.

It goes live on Monday (but there is a beta version out there). When it launches, all of us can have first-hand experience in trying to create fair, legal districts (at least in fictitious states like the "State of Jefferson" or the "State of Madison"). This is a great new way to educate the (online) masses and allow them to understand what happens when trying to draw districts in this nation.