AP US GOVT. 2016-17 Gerrymandering

AP US GOVT. 2016-17 Gerrymandering

Good video explaining Gerrymandering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11UJb9AY__

The term gerrymandering is derived from Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), the governor of Massachusetts from 1810 to 1812. In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill into law that redistricted his state to overwhelmingly benefit his party, the Republican Party. The opposition party, the Federalists, were quite upset.

Governor Gerry went on to become vice president under James Madison from 1813 until his death a year later. Gerry was the second vice president to die in office.

One of the congressional districts was shaped very strangely and, as the story goes, one Federalist remarked that the district looked like a salamander. No, said another Federalist, it’s a gerrymander. The Boston Weekly Messenger brought the term gerrymander into common usage when it subsequently printed an editorial cartoon that showed the district in question with a monster’s head, arms, and tail and named the creature a gerrymander.

Gerrymandering Examples

The unusual earmuff shape of Illinois's 4th congressional district connects two Hispanic neighborhoods while remaining connected by narrowly tracing Interstate 294. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT? WHY IS IT GERRYMANDERING?

A similar district is New York's 28th congressional district which connects the heavily Democratic cities of Rochester and Buffalo with a narrow strip of territory hugging the Lake Ontario and Niagara River coastlines to connect them. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT? WHY IS IT GERRYMANDERING?

Arizona's 2nd congressional district contains the northwestern corner of the state, and some of the western suburbs of Phoenix. The odd shape of the district is indicative of the use of gerrymandering in its construction. The unusual division was not, however, drawn to favor politicians. Owing to historic tensions between the Hopi and the Navajo, and since tribal boundary disputes are a Federal matter, it was thought inappropriate that both tribes should be represented by the same U.S. House of Representatives member. Since the Hopi reservation is completely surrounded by the Navajo reservation, and in order to comply with current Arizona redistricting laws, some means of connection was required that avoided including large portions of Navajo land, hence the narrow riverine connection. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DISTRICT? WHY IS IT GERRYMANDERING?