The cover asked, “Is Government Dead?” and proclaimed, “Unwilling to lead, politicians are letting America slip into paralysis.”
That cover made a big impact on my high school brain.
In 1989 I already believed that a functioning democracy could do amazing things, so the thought of dead government weighed on me then.
The cover still serves as a useful reminder that a meaningfully functioning democracy is not a given and that there are times when it is necessary to examine the mechanics of government. Draw the Lines PA aims to do just that. The project inquires how redistricting is affecting the functioning of our democracy.
I’m proud to be a part of an endeavor that allows us to examine how we can reinvigorate our system of government.
Professor Family is a member of DTL’s Central Pennsylvania Steering Committee and is the project’s liaison with the Widener University Commonwealth Law School, which is DTL’s host organization for its central region.
At Widener, she directs the Law and Government Institute and is the Commonwealth Professor of Law and Government.
