Legal Definitions - political gerrymandering

Political gerrymandering is the practice of dividing a geographical area into electoral districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage by weakening the opposition's voting strength. This is often done by creating oddly shaped districts that include or exclude certain groups of voters.

The term "gerrymandering" comes from a district in Massachusetts that was redrawn in 1812 to benefit the Anti-Federalist party. The new district was said to resemble a salamander, and a critic combined the name of the governor at the time, Elbridge Gerry, with "salamander" to create the term.

There are different types of gerrymandering, including:

• Delineational gerrymandering: This involves varying the shape of districts to weaken the opposition's voting strength. There are three types of delineational gerrymandering: cracking (or fracturing), packing, and stacking.
• Institutional gerrymandering: This involves varying the number of representatives per district to benefit one political party.

Gerrymandering can have a significant impact on elections and representation. For example, if a state's districts are gerrymandered to favor one party, that party may win more seats than they would have otherwise. This can lead to a lack of representation for certain groups of voters and can make it difficult for the opposition party to gain power.

Overall, political gerrymandering is a controversial practice that can have far-reaching consequences for democracy and representation.