Gerrymandering is the drawing of boundaries of electoral districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage over another political party to dilute the power of certain voting groups.[i] Moreover, this tactic presents a political question, rather than a Constitutional one and is therefore out of the reach of the federal courts as determined in the US Supreme Court case, Rucho v. Common Cause, No. 18-422, 588 US ____ (2019), thus leaving the issue of drawing districts to Congress or the states.
The term “gerrymander” is derived from Elbridge Gerry, a Founding Father and former Governor of Massachusetts. It refers to the oddly shaped district approved by Governor Gerry, resembling a salamander or serpent that resulted in the election of three candidates from the Democratic-Republican Party in 1812,[ii] also known as the Jeffersonian Party, which opposed a strong centralized government.[iii]
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Therefore, in our system of federalism, where both the national government and the state governments have the power to make laws, these electoral districts may be drawn and redrawn by state governments, where in the state legislatures, majority rules. It is not the President of the United States that makes that decision on electoral districts.
Why is this important?
Why do we need to know this?
Since the 2020 presidential election, at least 19 states, have passed legislation that many see as restricting voting and disenfranchising voters. This is a threat to our democracy, no matter what one’s party affiliation may be. Gerrymandering may even be more of a threat, further eroding our democracy. So, when you think that only presidential elections have its consequences, think again. Voting in local and state elections is very important and ultimately, has definite implications on which party governs the nation.
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[i] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/gerrymandering-explained
[ii] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/where-did-term-gerrymander-come-180964118/
[iii] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/jeffersonian-party