What is gerrymandering?

• A. Drawing electoral district boundaries to advantage a political party or group.
• B. The process of evenly distributing population across districts.
• C. A method for determining federal funding.
• D. A Supreme Court case about voting rights.

Answer: (A)

Gerrymandering is drawing electoral district boundaries to advantage a political party or group. After a census, lawmakers redraw districts, and if the goal is to help one side win more seats, that manipulation is gerrymandering. Voters may be packed into a few districts to concentrate their influence, or cracked across many districts to dilute it, which changes future election outcomes rather than reflect communities fairly. The term comes from a historic example where a oddly shaped district resembled a salamander, named for Governor Elbridge Gerry. This concept focuses on political gain through boundary drawing, not simply dividing people evenly, determining funding, or a court decision about voting rights.