Gerrymandering is the redrawing of district boundaries to favor a particular party or candidate, which is illegal in the US. The term comes from Governor Elbridge Gerry’s radical redrawing of Massachusetts boroughs. Districts should be nonpartisan and have roughly equal populations, but they are often designed to favor one party. Close monitoring and prosecution can help reduce the problem.
Gerrymandering is an American slang term that refers to redrawing the boundaries of a district so that the new district favors a particular party or candidate, typically the one in power. In addition to being a colorful piece of 19th century slang, it’s also serious business and can be used to divest voters’ votes. Due to the temptation of rigging, political districts are closely scrutinized when they are redesigned, and some disputes are brought to court. Gerrymandering is also illegal in US law, meaning people convicted of fraud will face consequences.
The term is actually a portmanteau word, a fusion of “salamander” and “gerry.” While Governor Elbridge Gerry may have made other contributions to the American political landscape, he is best remembered for his creative and radical redrawing of Massachusetts boroughs. One of the districts resembled a lizard or a salamander, and many political cartoons of the period exaggerated the resemblance. “Gerrymandering” quickly entered popular English, as it was a colorful and descriptive term as well as a political epithet.
The origins of fraud lie in the way the United States is governed. In an effort to provide a representative democracy, each state is allowed a certain number of representatives, based on its population, as well as two senators. The state is subsequently divided into congressional districts, with each representative coming from a single district. In a state with eight representatives, there will be eight districts. This ensures that each representative has a connection to a part of the state and can support specific voters. Districts are supposed to have roughly equal populations and should be drawn on nonpartisan lines, to ensure that every candidate has an equal chance of capturing a district.
However, districts are commonly designed in particular shapes to favor voters of one party or another. By modeling a district oddly, the people drawing it can ensure a higher concentration of voters who will favor a particular candidate, thus ensuring a victory in that district. Gerrymandering can also be used to influence a state election, as Elbridge Gerry tried to do, by leaning all districts to favor him and isolating small pockets of the opposing party so they would have no voting power.
The issue of fraud has continued to plague American politics, especially as minority voters have become more vocal about the rights violation represented by fraud. The problem will likely never fully disappear, as the pursuit of power can be a powerful incentive to illegal action. However, close monitoring of redistricting, combined with prosecuting the courts when necessary, can help reduce the problem and ensure that districts serve their original purpose of providing fair representation for all.
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