This Gerry Mander is one shady character.

So, have you heard the scoop on who is really running things over in the House of Representatives? As we all know, it's not the Speaker. No, the truth is much worse, much more insidious, and I'm afraid that the influence over the House is thoroughly unwholesome. I'm talking about that ultimate good ole boy, Gerry Mander. Do you want to know the worst part of this sad little comedy? Gerry Mander isn't even a person.

Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing electoral districts for purposes of partisan advantage. The resultant shapes can be quite convoluted, as they aren't being designed according to any natural geographic requirements, but rather strictly according to political strategy to increase leverage for certain voters and decrease it for others.

The practice is used by incumbents, as they have both the authority to change district boundaries and the motivation to do so, and generally involves a combination of two strategies - packing & cracking. Packing involves concentrating particular voters into certain districts to deny them influence in others, while cracking involves spreading the target voters out among several districts to deny them influence in particular areas.

Another nifty effect of the practice in some cases is the insulation of elected officials from the force of mainstream opinions by allowing them to remain safe in their own gerrymandered district, regardless of the opinion of the majority. We are seeing this effect operate in dramatic fashion in the House of Representatives right now, with a minority of radical Tea Party Congressman holding the entire democratic process hostage with a virtual assurance of immunity from repercussion. This situation makes it more than difficult for the compromises that are required for government to function rationally.

So as we enjoy the spectacle of the current government shutdown, as well as the daily media cycle of recrimination and accusation, and await the coming debt ceiling debacle, we should remember who we really have to thank for this most recent manifestation of the degeneration of the American Republic. After all, the most basic premise of our system is that when you lose an election, when your opponent's legislation has been vetted by two branches of government, when a law is passed...you back down. You regroup for the next election cycle. You follow the process. Anything less, and you invite the kind of lawless sentiment and eventual impetus to radical thought and action that is the stuff of history.

You know, like the Fall of the Roman Empire?

You get the government that you allow.