JerryMangling (the Hitchhiker’s version of gerrymandering) is the process by which global voting districts are periodically redrawn, not by self-interested politicians, but by semi-automatic AI systems armed with a set of human-drafted principles.
> Basically imagine global Gerrymandering administered by Marvin from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
# How It Works As populations grow, shift, and migrate, the size of each Assembly must remain balanced. In the 42 Gardens model, each micro-assembly of 42 citizens represents around 180,000 people. To keep things fair, boundaries have to adjust.
Instead of letting parties or power-brokers mangle the maps, we let the AI do it — but not alone. Humans set the *principles* in advance (for example: "keep ecological biomes together," "avoid splitting towns," "balance population within 5%"). The AI then drafts maps that satisfy those rules.
If humans don’t like the outcome, they don’t get to argue over *where the lines go* — they must amend the *principles given to the AI*. This forces clarity: instead of endless map-battles, disagreements become *constitutional* rather than *cartographic*. Decisions aren’t made by one machine, either. It’s a panel of capable systems (plural), running independently and cross-checking results — the same way you wouldn’t trust just one towel to dry off after a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. ## Benefits - **Fairness at Scale** — Algorithms apply the same rules everywhere, preventing one region’s elites from bending borders to their advantage. - **Transparency** — Rules are written down as principles, debated in public, and voted on. If the outcome looks odd, the principles can be re-tuned. - **Adaptability** — Global populations change faster than census-takers can keep up. Automated rebalancing can run continuously, like a navigation system recalculating a route. - **Less Drama per District** — Because each Assembly represents only 180,000 people, and each micro-assembly of 42 is so small, no single boundary change swings the whole planet. Local adjustments matter, but they don’t cascade into global crises. ## Why It Matters In the old days of gerrymandering, shifting a few lines could hand a whole parliament to one faction. In planetary democracy, the stakes are smaller per Assembly and larger in principle: we’re choosing whether the system itself bends toward fairness or foolishness. JerryMangling says: let the machines do the fiddly bits, and let humans argue about what "fairness" should mean. That way, boundary lines remain objective approximations of messy human realities, and democracy doesn’t get lost in the map-drawer’s desk. ## See - 42 Gardens of Earth - Assemblies - Sortition - Constitution
# Adaptive Principles Because the world changes, these principles can be re-tuned: - **Demographics** shift (birth rates, migrations). - **Climate** changes redraw coastlines and river systems. - **Urbanisation** reshapes settlement patterns. Assemblies must adapt. The AI recalculates; humans reset the principles if needed.
# Benefits for Global Democracy With Assemblies only 180,000 people per representative, small boundary shifts don’t swing global power. Instead, they fine-tune representation, keeping it fair, ecological, and humanly recognisable. JerryMangling thus transforms from a political dark art into a planetary craft: a shared agreement on how we divide space, without dividing people.
# See - JerryMangling - Assemblies - Constitution