Approach 1_Tate Yoder & Tyler Rollins
Visualizing Extreme Possibilities of Gerrymandering
Summary:
We propose that by visualizing the extremes of gerrymandering we will create a country-wide conversation to address this unfair tactic in today’s polarized political environment.
Visuals:
Background:
Gerrymandering is the act of manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency or district, to favor a certain political party. We came to the conclusion that many citizens are not aware of the effects that gerrymandering has on elections. On average, only 60% of voting-eligible citizens turn out to vote in any given election. The tactic of gerrymandering undermines the voice of the people and there much needed vote. This project would help inform people around the country about this disruptive and important issue.
Explanation:
Our idea is to create a website that will help people understand the effects of gerrymandering by using interactive visuals. After searching the web, we found that it was tough to find a website that presented clear and concise information on the topic in an easily consumable way. We decided that visuals would be the most effective way to depict this information to the masses. The visuals will give an accurate representation of what the current gerrymandering map looks like across the U.S. This will also allow users to select by state and by year, allowing them to view the dramatic changes that have taken place from voting year to voting year. This website will also give them the background knowledge needed in order to truly understand the effects of gerrymandering, how it started, and how we can start a conversation to end excessive redistricting. The target audience for this project is politically active members of our society. This means we are dealing with a large adult audience, and our website must target that audience by making it as easy to use and informative as possible.
Credits:
Photos from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Congressional_Districts,_party_colors_2009_07_23.svg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:How_to_Steal_an_Election_-_Gerrymandering.svg
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/17/upshot/pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html
Rough Budget:
Domain Name – $10.00 / month
Web Developer – 2 Months work at $20.00 / hour
Adobe Creative Cloud Account – $20.00 / month
Time:
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – 5 weeks
Data research – 3 weeks
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