As he has throughout his acting and political career, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently created quite a ripple. However, in this case at least, he's right conceptually in proposing to do away with the state's partisan system of figuring out the state's election districts. The idea of taking the process of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and state legislatures and to the wisdom of various types of nonpartisan or bipartisan commissions has been kicking around for quite some time. But Arnold's push is helping to give the idea some real juice.

Redistricting controlled by partisans for the benefit of partisans has created fundamental problems for the democratic process for a long time now. Politicians, naturally, have two goals when deciding on districts: protecting themselves and their fellow incumbents from serious challenges, and maintaining or appropriating as much power for their party as possible.

In many states, the politicians have done just that, leading to all sorts of stalemate in policymaking and in bringing new people and fresh ideas into the system. The current procedures for redistricting have had this effect both in Congress and within states. For example, according to Common Cause, in the 2004 House races, more than 85 percent of incumbents won by majorities of more than 60 percent. Only seven incumbents, of 399 running, lost their seats. That's a 98.2 percent re-election rate.

The same pattern has taken hold California. Of the 173 seats up for re-election in 2004, zero seats changed parties. Same deal in New York. In 2,500 races over the past 24 years, only 34 Assembly and State Senate incumbents have been defeated in New York's general elections. This had led to a perpetual state of a Republican dominated senate and Democratic dominated Assembly, a system inherently designed to create constant disagreement, inability to compromise, and failure in passing legislation or a timely budget.

What is worse is that in some places, politicians have attempted to hijack the redistricting process in between census counting years (when it is traditionally carried out) to alter the balance of power in Congress. The most notable and scandalous undertaking of this type was the Tom Delay power grab in Texas just last year. By engaging in some clever redistricting, Texas Republicans were able to oust some long serving Democratic representatives and gain even more congressional seats for themselves.

Under the Schwarzenegger proposal, deciding political boundaries would be under the purview of a panel of retired judges. Since 2000, Iowa has had a system in which an entity called the Legislative Service Bureau, a division of a nonpartisan legislative staff agency, and a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission oversee redistricting. In Arizona, the Commission for Appellate Court nominates and the legislative leaders then select members of the redistricting commission. According to the Center for Voting and Democracy, in New Jersey, the Redistricting Commission is made up of 13 members chosen by the speaker of the General Assembly, the president of the senate, the minority leaders of both houses and the chairpersons of the two largest political parties. The thirteenth member is chosen by majority vote of the appointed twelve. The 10-member Apportionment Commission handles state legislative districts. Its members are chosen evenly by the chairpersons of the two largest political parties in the state.

According to USA Today, redistricting reform activity is going on in at least ten states—including New York. Common Cause, Citizens Union, Demos, the Center for Governmental Studies and many other nonpartisan organizations have created principles and guidelines for redistricting reform.

Commissions such as these are no panacea—nobody seems to be exactly "nonpartisan" these days. But they are a step in the right direction. Fairer, more competitive elections by way of more rationally designed districts may be just the shot in the arm our democracy needs.

Tova Andrea Wang is a senior program officer and Democracy Fellow at The Century Foundation.