In U.S. civics class, students are taught that elections are held for voters to choose the politicians to represent them. It’s a fundamental lesson, voters choose the politicians.

But this most basic lesson of a representative democracy is turned on its head by gerrymandering, the politicized redrawing of legislative and congressional districts done every 10 years following the national census. Redistricting is mandated by law, but politicians of both parties have corrupted the process by redrawing districts in ways that carve out or pull in voters of one party or the other to create so-called safe districts where one party is dominant.

This process intensifies partisan divides because politicians in the dominant party have no incentive to moderate their message, since the winning message is an appeal to the hard base, either Democrat or Republican. In fact, to express moderate views or a willingness to compromise often results a primary election challenge from a candidate offering more hardcore, partisan positions — appealing to either the hard right or hard left.

Many political observers argue that gerrymandering is a major cause of today’s highly partisan and dysfuctional government in many state capitols and Washington, D.C.

But it’s a process that happens only once every 10 years, and behind closed doors, so not many people are aware of the practice. Politicians are aware of it, and the party controlling each state legislature uses that power to win elections for the next decade.

It doesn’t have to be that way. A few states have taken redistricing out of the hands of politicians and turned the job over to nonpartisan commissions.

Pennsylvania’s constitution calls for House and Senate districts to be “compact and contiguous” adding that “unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided.”

But look at the reality today. The 7th Congressional District in southeastern Pennsyvlania, pictured in this text, is considered the eighth least compact, or most gerrymandered, in the United States. Looking at its contorted shape, it’s clear there was no thinking other than politics when the map was redrawn — carving some voters out and reaching to grab other voters. The 7th District includes parts of five counties and narrows down to a sliver of land 800 feet wide at one point.

But looking at the maps of many other districts, it’s clear policians in Harrisburg ignore the “compactness” guidelines. The same is true in most other states.

Gerrymandering results in noncompetitive elections and heightened partisanship in state capitols and in Congress.

Gerrymandering is bad for democracy and it makes voters in the minority party feel powerless. But it’s good for politicians, creating job security for incumbents and helping both major parties retain power.

There are 21 states using some type of redistricting commission. Iowa has been a leader in nonpartisan redistricting. A recent move by Arizona to take redistricting away from politicans and shift it to a commission was challenged in the courts and in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional.

Several years ago, California shifted redistricting from the legislature to a nonpartisan commission that cannot include elected officials or legislative staff.

There are other ways to reduce gerrymandering abuses. In Connecticut and Maine, a supermajority of two-thirds vote is required to approve redistricting maps in the state legislature.

Over the years, Pennsylvania has seen some interest in redistricting reform. In Harrisburg now, there is bipartisan legislation to create an independent citizens commission to handle redistricting and create competitive elections.

To be implemented, the legislation must be passed in two successive legislative sessions then approved by voters in a referendum.

Redistricting reform takes power from the major parties and can result in more compeitive elections, which creates risk for incumbents. For these reasons, it will be a struggle to pass in Pennsylvania.

But if more people are aware of the problem and put pressure on Harrisburg politicians, it just might happen.