American Government Unit 2 Gerrymandering American Government Unit 2

Essential Question: Throughout the years, many people have tried to stop the practice of Gerrymandering by politicians. What do you think could be done to make the redistricting process more fair?

Crash Course #37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnhFm5QVVTo

Redistricting vs. Gerrymandering Redistricting is the changing of political boundaries. This redistribution usually occurs after a census in order to keep voting districts apportioned equally. This process is controlled by elected officials. A form of redistricting in which electoral district (or constituency boundaries) are manipulated to form an electoral advantage for some particular group (illegal when affecting racial or ethnic balance). Typically the elected officials draw district lines to benefit their political party or help ensure their re-election.

Gerrymandering Printed in 1812, this political cartoon illustrates the electoral districts drawn by the Massachusetts legislature to favor the incumbent Democratic-Republican party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists. The name Gerrymandering comes from a combination of his name and salamander (representing the odd shapes these distorted districts form). The cartoon depicts the bizarre shape of a district as a dragon.

Methods: “Packing and Cracking” There are two main strategies behind gerrymandering: maximizing the effective votes of supporters minimizing the effective votes of opponents Packing: to place as many voters of one type into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts. Cracking: spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in order to reduce their representation by ensuring they do not have enough votes to win in any particular district.

Analyze: Look at the next 8 slides. Read the information, study the graphics You don’t need to write anything down, just make sure you understand the concepts 

Cracking & Packing

Packing and Cracking (EX.) Redrawing the balanced electoral districts in this example creates a guaranteed 3-to-1 advantage in representation for the magenta voters. Here, 14 green voters are packed into one district and the remaining 18 are cracked across the 3 other districts.

An example of absurd Gerrymandering that occurred with a district in North Carolina

California divided up by: Gerrymandering Area and population

In 2003, Republicans in the Texas legislature redistricted the state, diluting the voting power of the heavily Democratic county by dividing (“cracking”) its residents out to more Republican districts. The district in orange is the infamous "Fajita strip" district 25 ( mostly Hispanic, intended as a Democratic district), while the other two districts are intended to elect Republicans. District 25 has now been redrawn as a result of the 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision, and is no longer a "Fajita strip".

Gerrymandering! Aided by computer, District 38 was produced by California's incumbent gerrymandering, as home to Grace Flores Napolitano, a Democrat, who ran unopposed in 2004. Aided by computer, District 38 was produced by California's incumbent gerrymandering, as home to Grace Flores Napolitano, a Democrat, who ran unopposed in 2004

Another example Aided by computer, District 22 was produced by Redistricting in Texas for former Rep. Tom DeLay, a Republican (compare to Democratic District 38, above). Aided by computer, District 22 was produced by Redistricting in Texas for former Rep. Tom DeLay, a Republican (compare to Democratic District 38, above).

Primary Source Document Read the following primary source document. Study it and answer the Essential Question

A Conspiracy of Silence Against Redistricting Reform Public Hearings The unprecedented, united and relentless editorializing by Wisconsin's newspapers calling for legislative public hearings on non-partisan redistricting reform legislation since mid-August, continued this weekend with powerful statements in support of open, accountable state government -- and for the right of Wisconsin citizens to hear a robust debate on whether Wisconsin ought to end hyper-partisan, secretive, expensive gerrymandering that robs voters of real choices in general elections and causes legislators to behave in an unresponsive, unaccountable and arrogant manner. Or not. The chairs of committees with jurisdiction over redistricting reform legislation all vehemently oppose redistricting reform and refuse even to allow public hearings on the reform measures. Incredibly, they won't even explain why they refuse to schedule public hearings! Source: http://www.commoncausewisconsin.org/2013/10/a-conspiracy-of-silence-against.html

Essential Question: Throughout the years, many people have tried to stop the practice of Gerrymandering by politicians. What do you think could be done to make the redistricting process more fair?