Gerrymandering
Drawing electoral district lines to favor one party β legal, pervasive, and defeating the purpose of fair representation.
How We Say It
jerΒ·eeΒ·manΒ·dΙrΒ·ing
Where It Comes From
Named for Elbridge Gerry, Governor of Massachusetts, who in 1812 signed a bill redrawing a state senate district into a shape that resembled a salamander β prompting the portmanteau. The practice predates the name.
How It's Been Used
Legal at the federal level and in most states despite Supreme Court challenges. Both parties practice it where they hold state legislative power. The result: politicians choosing their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians. Redistricting technology has made modern gerrymandering far more precise than anything Gerry contemplated. Independent redistricting commissions in some states attempt to remove partisan control from the process.