Gerrymandering
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Gerrymandering is a term that refers to to purposeful rearranging of district lines in order to influence the outcome of an election or to favor one political party over another. The first instance of gerrymandering in the United States occurred during the 1800 presidential election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
- The Boston Gazette ran a cartoon depicting the new district as a contorted animal and proclaiming the "Gerry-mander, a new species of monster."[1]
The result of the rearranging of districts help Jefferson win the extremely close presidential race. In modern times, gerrymandering has been successfully used by Republican candidates to win election by redrawing districts so as to disenfranchise minorities.
Notes
- ↑ The End of Gerrymandering, Christian Whiton and Larry Greenfield, The Weekly Standard, 11/25/2008