The+ReDistricting+Game

=The ReDistricting Game= @http://www.redistrictinggame.org/ Platform: Any web browser (Flash-based game) Description: A Government/Politics simulation about the process of redistricting and its influence on voting and representation.

The first eye-catching aspect of the game is the introductory video. Combining a powerful quote about the impact of redistricting on the political process with the visual of an oddly-drawn district map coming alive and attacking the Representatives, the video is an excellent and memorable way to get the viewer thinking about the process and implications of redistricting. Want to know why the map-monster is a giant salamander-thing? Check out the ‘Learn More’ screen for more about the ‘Gerrymander’.

Beyond teaching the basic game mechanics of how to move district boundary lines, how to determine the political affiliation or ethnicity percentages of map squares, and how to move Representative name plates to more convenient locations on the screen, the game also teaches the player about voting districts, population equality and representation, common redistricting techniques, State Representatives and the State Legislature, and the role of the Governor and the courts in creating voting districts. Further, the player doesn’t just read about the vocabulary and politics of redistricting. They manipulate that political system, interact with the Representatives, and observe the redistricting process from the inside, giving the player a more situated understanding of redistricting than would be possible from simply reading about the topic.

The ReDistrictingGame does a phenomenal job of providing information both Just-In-Time and On-Demand. If you try to submit a map that doesn’t meet population equality rules, for example, your Party Leader will firmly tell you she won’t let your plan get voted on until you fix the problem. You can also mouse over the various Representatives at any time to get their opinion on your map so far. In addition, the game provides a whole extra ‘Learn More’ screen, where you can read about the particular method of redistricting used in each mission, where it really happened in recent state history, and the effect it had on that state’s political landscape. You can even get a link to an analysis of the voting district map of your own state.

One of the unique aspects of the game is how open-ended the task of drawing the map is. There are many different ways to draw the district lines that meet the basic mission requirements; at least it looks that way at first. But as you get feedback on your map, you quickly learn about the two other requirements that can keep your map from being approved, contiguity and compactness. This active process of discovering the rules of the game as you play, combined with the ability to get feedback on your map (either from the Representatives on the map screen or by going to the ‘Get Feedback’ screen) at any time allows the player to explore and try out strategies, slowly refining them as they learn more about the game. The game also provides two difficulty levels for each mission, with the advanced level adding a whole new way to interact with the Representatives (Political Capital) as well as challenging you with many more undecided voters.

If you’re teaching a class on Government or Politics, and you want your students to understand the concept of redistricting, have them play this game. It’s an excellent teaching tool, plus it’s free and takes only a couple hours at most to complete.