gerrymandering
Boundary-rigging for elections
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to favor one political party or group.
Districts may be shaped to concentrate opposition voters in a few areas (packing) or spread them thinly across many (cracking).
The result is that election outcomes are largely predetermined: Critics accused the legislature of gerrymandering to protect incumbents.
The word comes from an 1812 political cartoon depicting a salamander-shaped district approved by Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry.
Division into shares
- reapportionmentRedistributing legislative seats
- precinctsBounded administrative areas
- constituenciesElectoral regions or supporter groups
- boundariesLines marking separation
demarcation · mapping · cartography · census · demographics · zoning · jurisdictions · representation
Breaking without separating completely
- packingPutting items in containers
- stackingPlacing items vertically
- hijackingForcible seizure mid-transit
- kidnappingUnlawful seizure of person
Loyalty to one faction
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- incumbencyHolding an official position
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
- electorateEligible voting body
legislature · franchise · supermajority · entrenchment · uncompetitive · accountability
Ropes controlling ship sails
- distortionTwisting from original state
- skewingCausing asymmetrical distortion
- engineeringDesigning functional systems scientifically
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
scheming · chicanery · trickery · subversion · exploitation · gaming · fixing · tilting
Suitability for court decision
- unconstitutionalViolating fundamental law
- litigationLegal dispute process
- standingPosition, physical or social
- courtsJudicial bodies or playing areas
Not aligned politically
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- transparencyState of being see-through
- algorithmicFollowing programmed steps
- compactnessState of being compressed
apportionment
Division into shares
- reapportionmentRedistributing legislative seats
- precinctsBounded administrative areas
- constituenciesElectoral regions or supporter groups
boundaries · demarcation · mapping · cartography · census · demographics · zoning · jurisdictions · representation · redraw
cracking
Breaking without separating completely
partisanship
Loyalty to one faction
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- incumbencyHolding an official position
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
electorate · legislature · franchise · supermajority · entrenchment · uncompetitive · accountability
rigging
Ropes controlling ship sails
- distortionTwisting from original state
- skewingCausing asymmetrical distortion
- engineeringDesigning functional systems scientifically
maneuvering · scheming · chicanery · trickery · subversion · exploitation · gaming · fixing · tilting
justiciability
Suitability for court decision
- unconstitutionalViolating fundamental law
- litigationLegal dispute process
- standingPosition, physical or social
courts · precedent · remedy · injunction
nonpartisan
Not aligned politically
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
- transparencyState of being see-through
- algorithmicFollowing programmed steps
compactness · computer-generated · oversight · accountability
- Southern PoliticsDixiecrats, Jim Crow, poll tax, poll taxes, one-party rule
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, branches of government
- democracyvote, voting, election, elections, ballot
- U.S. PoliticsCongress, senator, representative, president, vice president
- US Politicsconservatism, ballot, liberalism, bill, constitutionalism
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
gerrymanderingfair representation
Accurate proportional inclusion
proportional representation · equal representation · natural boundaries
gerrymanderingelectoral integrity
Honest, accurate voting systems
majority rule · representative democracy · democratic representation · political equality · enfranchisement
- racial gerrymanderingManipulating boundaries by ethnicity
salamander, districting, gerrymander, redistricting, gerrymanderer, gerrymanders, gerrymandered, gerrymanderers