Unlike official Washington, Americans take seriously their Constitution with its built-in checks and balances. They want a government that is responsive to their needs and their will. When they don't get it, they take action.

Last Tuesday, the American people spoke. Massive partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, such as occurred several years ago in Texas and in other states, was intended to make such an expression of the public voice unlikely. That the effort failed so massively to quash the public will merely illustrates the depth of the public's outrage at the Republican Party in particular and at unresponsive big government in general.

Viewed in this way, the election of 2006 was similar to the election of 1994. Except for a brief period of

Mike Byron of Oceanside is the author of "Infinity's Rainbow: The Politics of Energy, Climate and Globalization." He was the Democratic candidate for the 49th Congressional District in 2004. He teaches political science at both Palomar and MiraCosta colleges.