What Moore v. Harper is really about
No, this case will not end democracy in America
If you read the media coverage of the Moore v. Harper case set for arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court, you’ll come away with only two pieces of information: This case is super, duper important, and probably going to destroy democracy in America.
As it turns out, neither is really true.
Moore v. Harper is the latest significant court battle over North Carolina political redistricting to reach the nation’s highest court. It is an interesting case, as it raises a new question that hasn’t been much considered: What exactly is the role of the court system in the redistricting process? Most of the previous court opinions have dealt with the legality of partisan gerrymandering, without much being settled.
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide to limit just how involved judges can be in drawing new political lines, firming up guardrails in the separation of powers. But the decision that ultimately comes down will not likely be earth-shattering, or even change the political landscape all that muc…