gerrymanderers
District line riggers
Gerrymanderers are those who manipulate electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party or group.
The practice involves drawing oddly shaped districts that concentrate or dilute voting power: The gerrymanderers carved up the city to ensure their party kept control.
The term comes from an 1812 Massachusetts redistricting under Governor Elbridge Gerry that created a district shaped like a salamander.
Creating geographical charts
- boundariesLines marking separation
- apportionmentDivision into shares
- reapportionmentRedistributing legislative seats
- districtsDefined administrative regions
precincts · redrawing · census · demographics · constituencies · electoral · congressional · legislative
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- partisanshipLoyalty to one faction
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- factionalismDivision into opposing cliques
- ideologyStructured belief framework
tribalism · incumbents · advantage · coalition · caucus · majority · minority · safe seats
Ropes controlling ship sails
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
- distortionTwisting from original state
engineering · strategizing · craftiness · cunning · exploitation · subterfuge · deception · masterminding
Eligible voting body
- ballotsVoting forms
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
- representationDepiction or likeness
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
turnout · dilution · suppression · wasted votes · democracy · fairness · competitiveness · voice
Civil court proceeding
- challengeTest of ability
- courtsJudicial bodies or playing areas
- commissionPayment for services rendered
- independentFree from external control
transparency · accountability · activism · opposition · ruling · unconstitutional · judicial · oversight
mapmaking
Creating geographical charts
- boundariesLines marking separation
- apportionmentDivision into shares
- reapportionmentRedistributing legislative seats
districts · precincts · redrawing · census · demographics · constituencies · electoral · congressional · legislative · cartography
bias
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- partisanshipLoyalty to one faction
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- factionalismDivision into opposing cliques
ideology · tribalism · incumbents · advantage · coalition · caucus · majority · minority · safe seats · swing districts
rigging
Ropes controlling ship sails
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
distortion · engineering · strategizing · craftiness · cunning · exploitation · subterfuge · deception · masterminding · twisting
electorate
Eligible voting body
- ballotsVoting forms
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
- representationDepiction or likeness
suffrage · turnout · dilution · suppression · wasted votes · democracy · fairness · competitiveness · voice · participation
lawsuit
Civil court proceeding
- challengeTest of ability
- courtsJudicial bodies or playing areas
- commissionPayment for services rendered
independent · transparency · accountability · activism · opposition · ruling · unconstitutional · judicial · oversight · nonpartisan