Case studies

For this assessment, you will visit this link from the Texas Tribune: https://graphics.texastribune.org/graphics/redistricting-cd35/ , read these articles: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2018-01-12/supreme-court-takes-up-fight-over-texas-electoral-districts AND https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/07/24/grave-concerns-court-texas-voting-maps/ , and then answer the following questions:

• What is redistricting?  What is gerrymandering?  How do both of these play into campaigns and elections?
• What was the original intent for redistricting the specified area in the first place?
• Was the redrawn district representative of the original intent and what have the courts had to say about this issue? 
• As a citizen or resident of Texas, what do you think of the politicizing of districts in an effort to garner votes from specific types of people (race, ethnicity, gender, political party affiliation, etc)?
• What are your over all thoughts and impressions about this issue? Should the politicians be taken completely out of the redistricting procedure, in an effort to maintain a bit more fairness or is the current system working?  Why or why not?