In
the United States we elect congresspersons and state legislators from
geographical districts whose boundaries have to be changed each decade to
keep them equal in population. When officials charged with drawing such
boundaries do it in such a way as to facilitate the election of certain
candidates, or the defeat of other candidates, we call it
"Gerrymandering" ---in honor of 1812 Massachusetts governor Elbridge
Gerry who presided over the creation of a district, shown here, that resembled a
salamander. Simply put, gerrymandering is discriminatory districting:
discrimination in favor of, or against, political parties, racial/ethnic groups,
or individual candidates.
Here are a few effects of the process... |