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Introduction
What is Gerrymandering?
In essence, gerrymandering is when a given political party redraws congressional districts in a way to give its candidates a numerical advantage in elections. While the practice of gerrymandering is a source of great political controversy, wide-scale alternatives have yet to be implemented. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has not made an explicit ruling on the constitutionality of gerrymandering, thereby allowing the continuation of the practice.
Gerrymandering has profound effects on the American voter system. It perpetuates voter cynicism because voters who live in a gerrymandered district are not being represented fairly, which keeps them from voting at all. Furthermore, it causes party polarization. This is because gerrymandered districts are overwhelmingly safe districts, meaning one of the candidates running for a seat from that district is guaranteed to win. In other words, candidates can reside within the depths of their political ideologies without compromising their chances of gaining a seat.
Illustration of Gerrymandering
The figure above is a clear representation of the process of gerrymandering. In a state where there are 60% of voters belonging to the blue party and 40% of voters belonging to the red party, most redistricting schemes would favor the blue party (as shown in the middle two schemes). However, if gerrymandering was to occur in favor of the red party, oddly shaped districts could be drawn so that the majority of districts are won by red.
The History Behind Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering dates back to the the late 1700s during the time of Elbridge Gerry. Gerry, an American statesman and the then governor of Massachusetts, approved a redistricting plan that would give his party, the Democratic-Republicans, a numerical advantage in the upcoming elections. The salamander-like shape of the district, combined with Gerry's name, is where the name "gerrymander" came from.