[TML] Gerrymandering, was Re: Threadjack Counties

[domhanai at juno.com]

Again, it was NOT my intent to disparage the fine state of Indiana (since my son and his estranged family live there), but to point out two (2) systems that had a direct effect on the configuration of counties EAST of the Mississippi.
The Land Ordinance of 1785 (which I misrepresented as the Northwest Ordinance), more than dividing upon the territory of the Ohio River ( in which Indiana was included), established a systematic division of land that was in effect until the Homestead Act. Since most of the territory covered under the NWO and LO was parceled out by the time of the HA, most of it was not affected by the Act, though the territories west of the Mississippi were (the HA, in its way, contributed to the larger states and counties). What was important is that townships were not the homogeneous entities we believe they should have been, so the counties, parishes, etc. created within one township would bleed over into other townships according to political adjustments at the state level, which being closer to the population than the federal government took priority in the establishment of the counties (the township / section was federal; the population is local).
 
This is where gerrymandering comes in. County boundaries are more likely to shift when municipalities grow, absorb other incorporated munis, etc., as well as group influxes (Scandinavian population in Wisconsin, for an extreme) cause voting blocs to form. Any politician who wanted to keep his job had two choices: pander to as many blocs in his area as he could, or capitalize on those blocs he knew supported him, and reinforce those blocs through boundary manipulation. He can't manipulate the federal township boundaries, unless he  wants undue attention to what he's trying to do. Ah, but the STATE legislatures are flexible and, if of the same party, accommodating.
I didn't deliberately omit the railroads, BTW; everybody knows about the "bad" railroads and their "land grabs," so it was a given. Besides, most of the territory in the Old Northwest was already owned by the time the railroads needed more land to grab.
Now, what does this have to do with the price of spice? ObTrav: Dome Wars! Vargr domes at war with Vilani, Aslan domes at war with Swordies, and Solie domes at war with everybody. As the little domes change hands, the opportunity to enlarge over already held territory domes becomes tempting. Or, I could be wrong....
 
Cougashika - fun trumps tech (or legalism)

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