Hello all: 

Is there a consensus or even reason to believe that a legislature filled
with representatives from competitive districts will do a better job
(defined however one wishes) than a legislature filled with
representatives from a mix of non-competitive, marginally-competitive
and highly-competitive districts? If so, why?

I am a fan of competitive political races for the same reason I am a fan
of competitive basketball games -- they are much more fun to watch than
non-competitive contests.  However, I am not sure we should construct
election maps with a significant focus on maximizing the number of
competitive districts unless there are very good reasons to do so.    

-Hank  

Henry L. Chambers, Jr., Professor of Law
University of Richmond
28 Westhampton Way
Richmond, VA 23173
804-289-8199