In American politics, the center is dead.

The election we passed through in 2016 exposed once again the depth of division and also a level of discourse

where compromise has been a dirty word.

And how did we get to such an extreme state of polarization?

Is it something about the internet or is it about the kinds of people who go into politics?

Or is it, as some have argued, the strange American practice known as gerrymandering, where every ten years,

the parties redraw the political map to create an advantage for themselves by putting together districts

made up overwhelmingly of voters likely to support them, making their seats so safe and so uncompetitive

that they have no incentive to compromise and the center dies?

Well, that is an intriguing theory, but does it hold up to examination?

That sounds like the making of a debate, so let's have it.

Yes or no to this statement.

Gerrymandering is destroying the political center, a debate from Intelligent Squared US.

We are at George Washington University in Washington, DC, in partnership with the National Constitution Center.

As always, our debate will go in three rounds and then our live audience here in Washington votes to choose the winner

and only one side wins.

Again, our motion is this, gerrymandering is destroying the political center, we have one team arguing for, one team arguing against.

Let's meet the team first arguing for the motion, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome David Daley.

Hi, David.

Hello.

So you wrote a book whose name I'm not allowed to say on the radio or in front of small children,

so I will try to get around it.

...