Hamilton Books
Pages: 132
•
Trim: 5½ x 8⅜
978-0-7618-7025-8 • Paperback • May 2018 • $24.99 • (£18.99)
978-0-7618-7026-5 • eBook • May 2018 • $23.50 • (£17.99)
Franklin L. Kury served six years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and eight in the Pennsylvania Senate. He practiced law with Reed Smith, a major law firm, and then worked as a lobbyist with Malady and Wooten in Harrisburg, before retiring. This is his third book on legislatures and politics.
List of Figures
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Glossary
Chapter 1 The Anatomy of a Redistricting—Pennsylvania, a Gerrymander?
Chapter 2 Elbridge Gerry’s Bum Rap and How We Got to Where We Are
Chapter 3Reform through the Legislature—An Uphill Struggle and Dark Money
Chapter 4 Judicial Relief—A Firm Maybe
Chapter 5 The Necessity for Citizens to Act
The Citizen’s Toolbox
Index
About the Author
Franklin Kury’s excellent book is as trenchant as it is timely. In it, he provides a great overview of the redistricting process in states like Pennsylvania. He shows how utterly broken that process is in that state and how gerrymandering in places like Pennsylvania is so clearly at odds with the fundamental values that ought to undergird republican democracies. He also shows why it is high time we did something about it.
— Tom Wolf, Governor of Pennsylvania
Franklin Kury has captured the essence of the political bloodsport of gerrymandering. He has taken a wonky issue down to the brass tacks of its political gamesmanship. Voters must choose their representatives rather than politicians choosing their voters.
— Pamela Goodman, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida
Gerrymandering for partisan gain, an issue few citizens understand, threatens our democracy. Franklin Kury, in this easy-to-read masterpiece, explains how Pennsylvania's redistricting has infringed on the rights of millions of Pennsylvania's voters whose voices are muted by the current gerrymandering. His remedy is simple: citizens must become engaged and through legal action, intense lobbying, and the power of the purse must force their legislators to devise
fair representation.
— Shirley Anne Warshaw, Gettysburg College
Franklin Kury’s concise and well-documented primer on gerrymandering should be of interest to legislators who draw the lines, journalists who write about the process, teachers and students who want to understand it, and perhaps most importantly to citizens who will find in his Tool Box ideas for how to improve the way we are represented by our lawmakers in our nation’s Capital.
— Joseph P. McLaughllin Jr., Director, Temple University Institute for Public Affairs
Franklin Kury shines light on how political parties gain and hold onto power—even when they lose the majority support of their constituents. He breaks down the inherent conflict of elected officials being allowed to pick their voters and the dark money enabling them. Fortunately for us, Kury isn't content to just report from the sidelines. His guide shows how states like California are leading the way to reform and provides specific steps you can take to bring fair electoral districts to your state.
— Christina Shupe, Director, California Citizens Redistricting Commission
If you care about building an inclusive democracy, that lifts all people’s voices, then Kury’s book is a must read. It presents the real life drama of gerrymandering that is more spellbinding than any spy novel. And it gives practical guidance for activists that is easier to follow than an IKEA manual. Bravo!
— Kathay Feng, Executive Director, California Common Cause