Gerrymandering Essay

The Electoral Impact of Gerrymandering
American democracy is predicated on the belief that government is both representative of and accountable to its citizenry, but the current system is plagued by issues which limit the responsiveness of government. Many of these flaws are inherent within the American electoral system, and as such, there is little which can be done to completely eliminate these issues, save major electoral reform. Certainly, a new crop of issues would soon sprout if ever such extreme reforms were to occur. Of these existing electoral issues, gerrymandering may be the most prevalent and visible and as a result, it is viewed as a blight on the American electoral system. The belief among many Americans, or rather those who

From unresponsive and unrepresentative government to increasing polarization and political gridlock, gerrymandering, specifically partisan gerrymandering, is to blame. Furthermore, the “first past the post” system of American democracy only strengthens the effects of Gerrymandering as the winner of the election, and the winner alone, gains power. There is incredible initiative for parties to create as many favorable districts as possible so they may either retain or gain power. Given that many states grant the power of redistricting to the state legislature, concerns of unfair districting as a result of partisan interests are valid.
Prior to delving into the complex matter of gerrymandering it is important to understand the concept itself. The term ‘gerrymandering’ was introduced to the lexicon in 1812 as a result of then Governor Elbridge Gerry’s signing of a bill which approved the redistricting of Massachusetts. This redistricting allowed Gerry and his party to gain a significant electoral advantage, but, it included one particular district which snaked around the state. This oddly shaped district was said to resemble a salamander and as

“A plan is a gerrymander if it enables a party to convert its votes into seats more efficiently than its adversary” according to Nicholas Stephanopoulos and Eric M. McGhee . While this 1812 instance was the first time a name had been applied to this form of redistricting, it had existed since the earliest days of American democracy. Permitting state legislators to draw the borders of districts unsurprisingly, led them to draw districts that were beneficial to them, or their party. Even during the early stages of American democracy the drawing of politically motivated districts was viewed as an abuse of the power. The so-called “gerrymander” was represented as a monstrosity, an affront to democracy, and an abuse of power on the part of Governor Gerry and the Massachusetts state legislature. The long history of anti-gerrymandering sentiment and its continued prevalence in contemporary journalism would indicate that it is a major obstacle to fair and representative democracy. In some ways, this belief is correct. Gerrymandering, and redistricting in general can negatively affect proper political representation and it is possible that gerrymandering is partially