By creating "safe" districts for one party, politicians often cater to the extreme wings of their party rather than the general electorate.
Gerrymandering is a form of unfair political maneuvering where electoral district boundaries are manipulated to give one party, group, or incumbent an advantage. The practice, which often results in oddly shaped districts, allows politicians to effectively "choose their voters" rather than voters choosing their representatives. Origin of the Term gerry.dem
Gerrymandering | Definition, Litigation, & Facts | Britannica By creating "safe" districts for one party, politicians
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims are "political questions" beyond the reach of federal courts. Origin of the Term Gerrymandering | Definition, Litigation,
A political cartoon published in the Boston Gazette on March 26, 1812, added wings and claws to the map, labeling it "The Gerry-mander". How Gerrymandering Works
Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the census, but gerrymandering abuses this process to distort how votes translate into power. Two primary techniques are used:
Gerrymandering has several detrimental effects on democratic representation: