[EM] Advantages of Dirichlet Region Districts

[Ernest Prabhakar]

Hi Forest,

On Jan 15, 2004, at 12:38 PM, Forest Simmons wrote:
> That said, due to other considerations I'm retracting my suggestion 
> that
> redistricting proposals be required to be Dirichlet style proposals; as
> Joe Weinstein pointed out long ago, any partition of the voters into 
> the
> specified number of sets (proposed districts) should be allowed as a
> proposal.

I think the real question -- and the real problem --  is that if I 
remember correctly Joe's proposal requires:
a) objective criteria
b) some voting method for deciding between them

If we have a determinate objective criteria, I don't see why we can't 
automate the 'right' solution using explicit calculation or at least 
probabilistic techniques.  If indeterminate, then that requires voting 
- but how do we get decent voting if we're starting from gerrymandered 
districts?

Am I missing something (again)?

-- Ernie P.


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