describe the two ways that officials gerrymander a district?

In battleground Pennsylvania, for example, the congressional map gave Republicans a virtual lock on 13 of the state's 18 congressional districts, even in elections where Democrats won the majority of the statewide congressional vote. A court could take a neutral approach, or act politically if the justices are so inclined (for instance, Democrats have a majority on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but conservatives have a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court). And one of the things that I didn't even realize how big it was until I started trying to actually change the system was how big the political industry is. In a micro sense, both me and my community benefited from the racial gerrymander, in that I got to represent them. Take a closer look at and read about proposed maps in Texas and New York. In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that districts must follow the principle of "one man, one vote" and have fair borders and an appropriate population mixture. Reforms at the congressional level have gone nowhere due to the Senate filibuster. Did playing the game help you understand the appeal of gerrymandering for both Republicans and Democrats? Other Democratic-controlled states: Democrats have full control over map-drawing in five more states, but they have fewer opportunities to make gains those opportunities appear to be for one seat in Maryland (where a Democratic legislative supermajority can cut out Republican Gov. Upload your study docs or become a Course Hero member to access this document Continue to access Term Spring Professor Gastineau Tags Cracking splits groups of people with similar characteristics, such as voters of the same party affiliation, across multiple districts. Gerrymandering reduces the number of competitive congressional races across the United States by segregating like-minded voters from each other. While that guarantees a victory for the party, it also makes that party less competitive in other districts and diminishes its power. One method is through " packing ," in which the voters of . What effect do the methods have on the opposing party? What do you learn about power from the simulation and the way this practice plays out in the real world? Republicans held on to key governors offices in states like Florida, Georgia, and Ohio. The Republicans, they said, You realize if you fight this you lose your district. And Im saying, somehow youre missing the point. Why or why not? Both sides are infected with it. Gerrymandering. Gerrymandering - Definition and Examples in Politics - ThoughtCo So Democrats arent staring at an exact replica of 2010, but they remain clearly disadvantaged this time around. How Political Parties Choose Voters Instead of Voters Choosing Them. In theory, this is mainly to take into account population changes as states grow and shrink, but in practice it serves as an opportunity for parties to seize the political advantage for the next decade, drawing gerrymandered maps that will help them win. Instead of attempting to change which people turn out, they can, usually once a decade, simply change the district lines so that some votes will matter more than others. Population Distribution Overview & Factors | What Affects Population Distribution? Gerrymandering and its Effect on Fair Representation - FairVote And the party says, you know, if you really want to enact this thing for your constituents, maybe you really do want to make sure that Flint has clean water, well, you know, the only way we're going to let you do that is if you fall in line because they want to make sure that they can continue to win. Stephen has a JD and a BA in sociology and political science. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Its possible that Republicans could draw maps aimed at knocking out at least two Democratic incumbents in each of these states. I actually think that's one of the most important reasons for all of us to care about redistricting - because a lot of people like saying we live in communities that are only red or blue, but we don't. Fine. In North Carolina in 2018, the courts ruled that Republicans had packed too many African-American voters into too few districts. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: "The Constitution supplies no objective measure for assessing whether a districting map treats a political party fairly.". Their last resort will be to try to win by much more than they did last time. Most recently, the Supreme Court ruled in 1985 that manipulating district borders to give an advantage to one political party was unconstitutional. In designing Virginias very first congressional map, Patrick Henry attempted to draw district boundaries that would block his rival, James Madison, from winning a seat. And gerrymandering when those boundaries are drawn with the intention of influencing who gets elected is bound to follow. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/gerrymandering-1435417. Want to read all 2 pages? A key note, however: while sometimes gerrymandering results in oddly shaped districts, that isnt always the case. There are two methods in which gerrymandering is practiced. But Democrats didnt sit on their hands. Describe the two ways that officials gerrymander a district? In a related article, The Times explains, Eleven states leave the mapmaking to an outside panel. Copyright 2020 NPR. This tends to occur especially when linedrawing is left to legislatures and one political party controls the process, as has become increasingly common. Here are six things to know about partisan gerrymandering and how it impacts our democracy. The resulting district was in the shape of a salamander on the map. Attempts to gerrymander happen only once a decade and soon after years ending in a zero. It has a surprising history and an uncertain future, as the nation awaits a ruling by the Supreme Court. But now the GOP has the chance to shake things up before the 2022 midterms. The term is derived from the name of Gov. Thats a social trend that is greater and more impactful than just gerrymandering. Heres what the Democrats need to do to fix their problem. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. And even though our elected officials change out every so often, a lot of the political strategists have been here for decades. We live in communities, our neighbors could be Democrats, Republicans, independents, people who vote, people who don't vote. - Definition & Examples, What Is House Arrest? It is a strategy used by ruling parties to firmly establish their control of the political landscape. Accuracy and availability may vary. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "Gerrymandering." This will be a broad summary, but if youre craving more detail, excellent guides to redistricting in every state have been written by Kyle Kondik and J. So when people were starting to see all of these voter ID laws or some of the bathroom bills, and people were kind of confused saying, you know, why are these popping up in all these states, it actually was related to a long-thought-about strategy around redistricting and maintaining that control and then pushing an agenda. Norton explained the emergence of the epithet "gerrymander" this way: The late William Safire, a political columnist and linguist forThe New York Times, made note of the word's pronunciation in his 1968 bookSafire's New Political Dictionary: By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. It happened just after the 2010 midterm election wave, which cost the party more than 700 state legislature seats and gave the GOP total political control of most swing states. Republican strategist Karl Rove wrote in The Wall Street Journal before the midterm elections in 2010: The Republican victories in statehouses across the country allowed the GOP in those states to then control the redistricting process taking effect in 2012 and shape congressional races, and ultimately policy, until the next census in 2020. MARTIN: That was Katie Fahey, executive director of The People, which works to address extreme partisan gerrymandering across the country. Even with slicing and dicing, discriminating against white Democrats only moves the political dial so much. The key to partisan gerrymandering is whats known as packing and cracking. The goal is to pack as many of your opponents voters into as few districts as possible, while cracking up their remaining voters (splitting them among several districts where theyll be in the minority). But sometimes the process is used to draw maps that put a thumb on the scale to manufacture election outcomes that are detached from the preferences of voters. Anyone can read what you share. In that case, the plaintiffs argued that the discriminatory effects of the redistricting plan could be measured objectively by comparing the efficiency of votes cast for Republican or Democratic candidates in state legislative elections since 2012. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion. The redistricting process begins soon after the U.S. Census Bureau completes its work and begins sending data back to the states. What further insights did you gain? ", Steven Nass/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0. In swing-state legislatures, the situation was starker Republicans gerrymandered and have held legislatures in states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania ever since. Since a single party usually controls each state legislature, it is in the best interest of the party in power to redistrict their state so that their party will have more seats in the House than the opposition party. The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution prohibit racial discrimination in redistricting. Computers and GIS were utilized in the 1990, 2000, and 2010 Census by the states to make redistricting as fair as possible. Describe the two ways that officials gerrymander a district? 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Murse, Tom. And that last redistricting cycle happened in 2010. Civics, Economics and Geography: Chapter 7 Flashcards | Quizlet It's the redrawing of the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. For example, did you find it easy or difficult? Gerrymandering: Definition, History and Legality - TheStreet https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-gerrymandering-4057603 (accessed May 2, 2023). Quanta Magazine Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. In several states, new snake-like district lines were drawn, linking together small pockets of black voters. I feel like things are changing in the right direction. Just want to say hello to you. This road is sort of the boundary. The problem for Democrats: Republicans simply control more of these states. Describe the two ways that officials gerrymander a district? - Brainly States with divided partisan control: Finally, there are some states where the two parties are sharing power. Or is it in the interest of African-Americans to have the party they belong to have power? While these states take redistricting out of the hands of the entire legislature, the process is highly political, or partisan, and often results in gerrymandering districts. From 1901 to 1992, no Afro-American had ever represented North Carolina. NPR's Michel Martin talks with Katie Fahey, executive director of The People, about how gerrymandering has impacted this election and what effect it may have going forward. Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania alone the three states with the worst gerrymanders in the last redistricting cycle accounted for 7 to 10 extra Republican seats in the House. I think it is really hard to think about that. - Definition & Meaning, Witness: Definition & Role in Criminology, What is a Public Defender? The first method is called the "excess vote." Rather than allowing for new candidates to challenge congressional candidates, gerrymandering virtually assures that an incumbent (a politician currently in office) will be reelected. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, whose administration enacted a law in 1812 defining new state senatorial districts. It was more compact now, but also much more Republican. 1. Describe the two ways that officials gerrymander a district? I mean, in North Carolina, it was Republicans who were drawing district maps in such a way that advantage them, you know, far beyond what their numbers should have indicated. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today. The governors in most of those states have the authority to veto the plans. The same was true for Democrats. Republican legislators will be disinclined to make such an effort, and the various independent redistricting commissions may vary in how they approach this challenge. Gerrymandering is by far the most effective modern tool for a party seeking to swing election outcomes in the US. In a Times Insider article about the creation of this game, Charlie Smart, one of the creators, explained what he hoped readers learned from it: The takeaway, Mr. Smart said, is that while gerrymandered maps can look a little wonky, the basic mechanics of gerrymandering, whether in real life or the simulation, arent convoluted. Although siding with the plurality in rejecting the challenge to the political gerrymander in question, Justice Anthony Kennedy asserted that it had not been long enough since the Bandemer decision to conclude that no suitable standards could ever emerge (by the timeline of the law 18 years is rather a short period).
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