Redistricting & The Gerrymander How to Divide and Conquer your Enemy

House & Constitution The Constitution’s framers set up in the House a system of apportionment whereby states would be divided into separate legislative districts based on the population of the state. Article 1: Section 2 of the Constitution requires a census be taken every 10 years to determine population for purposes of determining the number of people in each district for each state.

Each district is to have roughly the same amount of people to ensure citizens are equally represented – Currently each district represents 670,000 people Every ten years the census would be taken and Congress would have to reapportion the House of Representatives to adjust to the increase in population 1929: Congress settled on limiting the number of Representatives to 435

Gerrymander, or Gerrymandering, is derived from Gerry + Salamander – Elbridge Gerry was the governor of Massachusetts. – The misshapen district which was drawn and passed through the Massachusetts legislature in 1812 by the Democratic Republicans. – The district resembles a salamander. This is a form of redistricting in which electoral districts are manipulated for an electoral advantage for one political party. – This careful shaping of the voting district gave them and advantage over there Federalist party rivals. Gerrymander Origin

This political cartoon depicting a district in Essex County, Massachusetts was printed in the Boston Gazette, March 26, The electoral districts were drawn by Democratic-Republican members of the Massachusetts legislature to favor their incumbent party candidates.

Redistricting by gerrymandering is typically used by those of a political party in power, or the incumbents. This redistricting will then advantage their own party, or disadvantage the opposing party, or members of a racial, national, linguistic, religious, or class group. Redistricting can especially favor a particular political party in single-winner electoral systems that elect representatives to represent voting districts. – Such systems, are called first past the post, or winner takes all. – Typically, such voting systems favor few political parties, e.g., our democratic and republican parties. Gerrymander Explained

Example of Positive Effects of Gerrymandering Not all gerrymandering have bad effects. A narrow California congressional district along the coast separate from the inland district. – The two districts have different concerns that do not always overlap.

Gerrymandering Techniques Two gerrymandering techniques, packing and cracking, allow maximizing votes for one party while minimizing votes for the opposition. Packing concentrates opposition voters in a few districts that are already a majority in that party. Cracking breaks down regions that will dilute the opposition so that a slight majority for the other party.

Gerrymandering Effects The effects of gerrymandering can be harmful to the democratic process Gerrymandered districts favor incumbents that are difficult to unseat in elections, thus creating safe seats. Safe districts with incumbents with less incentive/motivation to be govern by constituents’ needs In the 2002 election, only four incumbents in the US Congress were defeated, the lowest number in history. – This was in part due to redistricting and gerrymandering by incumbents.

Gerrymandering Example: Texas’s 22nd congressional district This mid-decade redistricting resulted in six additional seats in US congress This district was the result of redistricting in 2003, when Texas congress had become republican, the first time since Reconstruction

Gerrymandering Example: California’s 38th congressional district District 38 was produced by California's incumbent gerrymandering, as home to democrat Grace Flores Napolitano, who ran unopposed in 2004

Remedies Redistricting was only allowed after the ten year census The U.S. Supreme Court upheld all of the 2003 Texas redistricting engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, except for the "fajita" district, which would have affected racial and ethnic minority groups. This decision now allows politicians to redraw and gerrymander districts as often as they like to protect their political parties and seats, provided they do not harm racial and ethnic minority groups.

References Elbridge Gerry, Wikipedia, California's 50th congressional district, Wikipedia, ves,_California_District_50 Politics of Texas, Wikipedia, tes_and_the_1990s Salamander, Wikipedia, arek_Szczepanek%29.jpg Longley, Paul A., Goodchild, Michael F., Maguire, David J., Rhind, David W., Geographic Information Systems and Science, Publisher: Wiley