[redm]

I don't think the problem is districts. Governance in the US works through compromise. The hyper-partisan environment is caused by bases pushing representatives apart and not allowing for understanding. To make matters worse, a tiny percentage of voters are educated on the issues in a meaningful way. They are educated in soundbites though which exacerbates the issue. A representative democracy can't function with the representatives being accosted at every turn (either democrat or republican).

[masklinn]

> I don't think the problem is districts.

Districts, and more specifically FPTP single-member constituencies are a huge part of the issue, they're a large reason for the bipolarisation endemic to the US (for both voters and candidates) since they promote, nay, can only result a 2-party system in which voters and representatives have to align or be ignored entirely.

[DennisP]

Part of the reason for the hyper-partisan environment is that the districts are safely held by their respective parties, so the only real competition is in the primaries.