This year, California legislative committees are at least beginning the work of reconfiguring congressional, legislative and Board of Equalization districts amid uplifting talk of openness, compromise and conciliation. It takes openness and willingness to compromise. Academic observers of past redistricting wars dismiss such talk as unrealistic. The culture argues against it. The politics argues against it.
History argues against it.
Even so, a combination of political forces, notably term limits and big Democratic gains in recent elections, could combine to make the redrawing of legislative districts a much less contentious process than usual. It is at the point where it is of questionable value to try to expand on those majorities. There is a point of diminishing returns. With some creative line-drawing, Democrats conceivably could pad their majorities by a few seats. But to do so would involve weakening safe seats by shifting strong Democratic precincts into more marginal districts.