12. Gerrymandering Flashcards
What is Gerrymandering?
the process of redrawing legislative districts to provide an electoral advantage to the incumbent political party
How often do legislatures redistrict?
Every 10 years
Do they redraw lines for a specific candidate or for a specific party?
Specific political party
Why do they redistrict?
To reflect population and demographic changes
What is a ‘safe’ district?
a district with a wide partisan margin
In what ways is the practice of gerrymandering harmful to American democracy?
It undermines the democratic process by manipulating the outcome of elections before a single vote is even cast
What do legislatures that belong to the dominant political party do?
They have a strong incentive to manipulate the legislative district maps, to dilute the voting powers of the opposition party
How are maps drawn?
Maps are drawn in a way that will allow the dominant political party to gain a greater share of representation in the federal government
What is ‘packing’?
Packing is when you place the opposition into a small number of districts to ensure a reduced amount of federal representation
What is ‘cracking’?
Cracking is when you divide the opposition through multiple districts to ensure little to no federal representation
What does state manipulation affect?
affects federal representation
