The 50 (Equal) States
Neil Freeman is an artist and urban planner in New York who does some interesting artistic experiments with maps on his website, Fake is the New Real. His newest project is dividing up the nation into 50 states with equal populations (about 6.175 million people per state).
The text that accompanies the image on his website is a little confusing. Freeman wraps up by saying that this is just a piece of art and that he's not seriously suggesting a change to the Electoral College -- but everything that proceeds that statement seems to be a serious attempt to weigh precisely that prospect.
Regardless of Freeman's true feelings, I don't have any truck with desires to reform the Electoral College, but this is still fascinating if you're interested in population distribution, political geography, etc. (You'll have to click thru to see it at full size):
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Apr '11
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
I see one fatal flaw with his map. The state that encompasses Chicago seems to be called "Gary". How rude!
May '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
I hadn't even heard of the Chinati Mountains until now. I must question the judgment of anyone who thinks renaming any sizable region of Texas after mountains makes sense.
Atchafalaya is acceptable, though Goodeatin might be more appropriate.
Aug '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Doomed to failure. Putting Lubbock and Shreveport in the same jurisdiction is asking for unrest to make Bleeding Kansas look like a pick-up ball game.
And don't get me started on putting Kansas City and Lawrence in the same state.
Though I will conced that Lexington and Louisville will probably be happy to be done with each other.
Oh -and Chicago, LA, and New York get their own states. Gary is the rest of the Metroplex.
May '11
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
... I am torn between Rainier and Salt Lake.
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
I sort of like these names. It looks like the science fiction version of the US.
And the great thing about the country is: populations shift. I'd love to see what the map would look like over, say, 50 years. My guess is that Tule would be bigger.
Mar '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
It's like the map of the next Walker Percy novel that was never written. Clever, how Mesabi, formerly MN (with slices of WI), was named after the famous iron range because of the iron ore mining old time revival that came with China's demand and the dollar's decline.
Jul '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
My ancestors would be back in their native Shenandoah soil.
Nov '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
I'm guessing a lot of the folks in Salt Lake would be happier this way...
Jul '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
So I'm a resident of Firelands now? Sweet. Looks like a battleground state to boot.
I hereby demand plebiscites in the communities of St. Joe, Benton Harbor, and South Haven. The Firelands will not rest until it has been rejoined with its ̶b̶e̶a̶c̶h̶e̶s̶ brethren along Lake Michigan. Oh yeah, it's on Menominee!
Edited on February 20, 2013 at 6:05amSep '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Also, the state to the east of Chicago is called "Firelands", which would seem more fitting for Chicago (at least the south side).
Jun '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Looks like my own Minnesota came through the most intact. Not too surprising, given how close its actual population is to Mr. Freeman's target one. Initially I thought that Firelands (where I am right now) was a reference to the combustibility of the Cuyahoga River. Apparently it comes from this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firelands Now that I think of it, that map would make a pretty good Risk board: "You may have taken Shiprock and Ogallala, but I still have forces in Nodaway!"
Edited on February 20, 2013 at 7:15amMar '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Ditto. Can we get that line nudged a bit further west. If the family farm is bisected, I think I'll be living on the eastern half, thanks.
We'll be traveling single file to hide our numbers.
Feb '11
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Please tell me he is not doing this study on the public dime.
Mar '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Israel P.: Please tell me he is not doing this study on the public dime.
· 2 minutes ago
Get with the times! It's the public quarter now.
Mar '11
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
More honestly, the places would have names like The Castro Strip, Chalon-sur-Snob, and Rednickistan.
May '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
Israel P.: Please tell me he is not doing this study on the public dime.
· 4 hours ago
That was my question - how many millions of federal dollars went to produce this 'art'.
Jul '11
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
This is a map that David Foster Wallace might have drawn, but for entirely different reasons. I still don't see a Great Concavity, though.
Who gets the moving company contract from the USG to move Americans to their properly-designated new homes? I imagine that every new redistricted neighborhood will also be required to be demographically balanced to match the country's targeted population matrix, and be EEOC-compliant.
Sep '12
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
All well and good until somebody moves....
Love this! I grew up in Eastern Washington, and this couldn't be more true. The state really should be divided into two states, with Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Kitsap, Island and San Juan counties in one state and the rest of Washington in another. Call the I-5 corridor state "Puke-it Sound" and the rest "Columbia".
And btw, no way, no how does Shasta get Rainier's wine country. Not happening!
Edited on February 20, 2013 at 1:28pmDec '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
I can imagine where he derived many of these names, but I grew up in Cleveland and I have no idea why the lands bordering Lake Erie would be referred to as the Firelands, unless he is making a crack about the flaming Cuyahoga River.
May '10
Re: The 50 (Equal) States
The next step in equality is recognizing population density as a factor in allocating public services such as healthcare. That's when we discover some states are more equal than others.