When it comes to matters like the budget, partisan control makes sense.
And, if so, was there any good reason for the map other than achieving partisan control?
First up: the overall chances for partisan control of the Senate.
Partisan control of the House appears to be up for grabs in nearly every election now.
In breach of Venezuela's constitution, Hugo Chávez took partisan control of the judiciary and the armed forces.
But other analysts say the split partisan control of Capitol Hill is not likely to lead to much compromise.
Partisan control of the House has flipped back and forth between the parties, as it may again in 2018.
In short, the answer to the question, "What effect did partisan control have on partisan advantage?" depends on when you're asking it.
When the stakes are so high that partisan control of the House might hang in the balance, more aggressive partisan efforts to gerrymander will, not surprisingly, flourish.
But there is one simple factor that has received much less attention: partisan control of the House and Senate is up for grabs more often than in previous eras.
The election capped a tumultuous two years in which partisan control of the Senate shifted to the Democrats with Mr. Jeffords' switch.
