Dhaka, Aug. 29 -- The fiercest struggle in American politics today is not between two presidential contenders. It is happening between states, which control the electoral maps that determine who sits in Congress. Though Republicans and Democrats are relying on redistricting campaigns instead of armies, their conflict is best understood through the lens of geopolitics. After all, they are not fighting over ideas or specific policies, but over territory.

Gerrymandering has become the decisive tool in this struggle, allowing state-level authorities to create maps that neutralize opposition voters. By clustering such voters into a handful of districts so that most districts go to your party, or by scattering them across many districts so tha...