In essence, gerrymandering is the redrawing of congressional district lines in a strategic way that is usually done to maximize the advantage of a certain political party. Well send you 1 limited edition, preproduction copy of mapmaker. The house of representatives, the supreme court, and the future of popular sovereignty kindle edition by mcgann, anthony j. Have the chocolates win 3 of 4 districts and then use another map to have the vanillas win 3 of 4 districts. Michigan republicans defend political maps as gerrymandering trial opens jan. Both democrats and republicans engage in gerrymandering, but the republicans have seen much larger gains due to gerrymandering following the 2010 census. Many boundaries zig and zag east and west, north and south across city, township and county lines as if for no reason at all. The great southern gerrymander continues in 2016 facing. New york the atlas of redistricting fivethirtyeight. Some state legislatures are more brazen about the process than others. Newest gerrymandering questions politics stack exchange. The facilitators goal is to help students understand the key concept of gerrymandering, how drawing regions differently may create regions of homogeneous voters or diverse voters. This is actually what america would look like without. Such gerrymandering leaves voters with few real options.
After a federal court struck down virginias congressional map in an unrelated racial gerrymandering case in 2015, the two parties couldnt reach a compromise, so the court drew its own plan. Classroom activity this classroom activity introduces students to the concept of gerrymandering. Investigating gerrymandering and the math behind partisan. Voters not politicians asks to intervene in michigan gop redistricting suit june 2019. The purpose of this activity is to develop background information so that students are not disadvantaged in demonstrating the skills the task intends to assess. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Gerrymandering, or how drawing irregular lines can impact an election. Gerrymandering and the future of american politics jstor. In this lesson, students search for a workable standard using math to determine when gerrymandering might be unconstitutional. Investigating gerrymandering and the math behind partisan maps. Daley did an excellent job of explaining gerrymandering, giving a bit of history and a sharing lot of foresight into where we likely will be stuck for the next several years. This book evaluates the impact of congressional redistricting on elections and control. Lawmakers often reshape voting districts to shift the balance of political power. The gerrymandering project redistricting has a huge effect on u.
By aaron bycoffe, ella koeze, david wasserman and julia wolfe. Included here are a lesson plan, a guided notes sheet, a congressional districts map analysis activity, and a simulation game with game. Political geography, 234, 425451 for more information on how gis has been used to benefit parties in redistricting, see. When used in a rhetorical manner by opponents of a particular district map, the term has a negative connotation but does not necessarily address the legality of a challenged map. Interesting to read this book post2016 election, as it was written before that. Gerrymandering may sound like a silly word, but its serious stuff.
Before the supreme court barred redistricting along racial lines, the shapes on the map were even more tortured. Redistricting and gerrymandering by rachel roberson. In the lesson redistricting in the united states, students played. The term gerrymandering refers to the practice of drawing electoral district lines to favor one political party, individual, or constituency over another. Discuss the historical roots of the term gerrymander.
Gop redmap memo admits gerrymandering to thank for. As facing south documented after the 2012 and 2014 elections, the consequence of gerrymandering in the south has resulted in a significant underrepresentation of democrats among the regions congressional delegates. Show a map of the districts in your state and zoom on your. Supreme court gerrymandering ruling means for michigan june 2019. The wooden district borders, wooden voter tokens, and wooden district markers meeples were laser cut at stanfords product realization lab. But that is just what the redistricting game does, to the gratitude of all who want americans to understand how this process is working, and why it needs real reform. Controversy and consequences activity one the student will reapportion a fictional state. Gerrymandering is the practice of carving up a state into strategically designed districts to create an electoral advantage for a particular political party. Redistricting and gerrymandering by rachel roberson featured resource kqeds the lowdown. The supreme court will hear a gerrymandering case in march that focuses on maryland.
Discuss the impacts of gerrymandering on the legislative process. The physical impact of gerrymandering can be seen on any map of congressional districts. Thats unfair to voters, even those of us with questionable judgment. Some of the more extreme examples of gerrymandering. For more on critique of using gis or spatial methods for redistricting, see. Well sign and send you this copy immediately after the campaign ends, so youll get it. The issue that was enough to bring barack obama back into politics in march 2017 is back in the news following a. If you follow politics at all, youve probably heard gerrymandering being discussed a few times, but what you might not know is how the term originated.
In this in this lesson, students explore the redistricting process and consider possible reforms to. Activity two the students will redistrict and gerrymander a fictional state 1 the teacher draws the box shown on student handout one on the board. A ruthless gerrymandering of british democracy to favour the partisan interests of the conservative party. Gerrymandering is the act of favoring the latter set of critera over the former, to intentionally make certain districts more biased toward or against a. Even crazier, though, gerrymandering used to be worse. Gerrymandering definition and examples in politics. Explore how gerrymandering affects the house of representatives in the graphics below. Several factors led to more extreme gerrymandering after the 2010 census. This activity will allow students to be active participants as they explore the concept of gerrymandering and creating. Elbridge gerry was a powerful voice in the founding of the nation, but today hes best known for the political practice with an amphibious origin. It is not easy to make the redistricting process understandable and nearmiraculous to be able to do so in a highly entertaining way. Ratfked author david daley says that republicans targeted key state legislative races in 2010 in an effort to control state houses, and, eventually, congressional redistricting. This new coloring book is the perfect tool for kids and adults to learn about the political.
History frowns on partisan gerrymandering the washington. Gerrymandering, the practice of redrawing congressional districts after a decadal census to favor one political party over the other, is getting a bad rap, especially after republicans used it to. In 2012, 41 percent of southerners voted for a democrat, but democrats made up only 29 percent of u. I know there was a book by david daley as well as the pending case in wisconsin declaring the voting districts. Then share the gerrymandering 101 worksheet and have students do their own gerrymanders. Between unreadable maps and small blurring notes a kindle user is getting only half. Partisan gerrymandering like racial gerrymandering and violations of the oneperson, onevote principle has occurred at various times in american history.
Among the tools used for this end is gerrymandering, which has siphoned black. Gop redmap memo admits gerrymandering to thank for congressional election success by nick wing this photo taken jan. Theres a lot of complaining about gerrymandering, but what should districts look like. List of books and articles about gerrymandering online. Hold a contest among students to bring in the most outrageous district lines 5. Gerrymandering in michigan is among the nations worst. Marylands districts, drawn by democrats, are one particularly egregious example. This project uncovers whats really broken, whats not and whether gerrymandering can. If any book needs to read the notes it is a book that is thoroughly researched. Ask students to research district lines in your state, county, or local area 4. In this book, i have argued for a fundamental reevaluation of gerrymander.
These three maps show just how effectively gerrymandering. Gerrymandering, or how drawing irregular lines can impact. After completing this activity, and sharing students creative ideas, explain to the class that the supreme court is now deciding a case that may determine if and when gerrymandering is. In a large number of states, one party controlled both houses of the legislature and the executive branch as well.
Everything you need to know about gerrymandering teen vogue. The tories are using the boundary changes for ruthless. Chapter 4 showed that these maps biased political outcomes within the states and had profound. We went back to the drawing board and drew a set of alternative congressional maps for the entire country. The objective is to create as many districts as possible in areas of known support and to concentrate the oppositions strength into as few districts as possible, and extremely irregular boundary lines are sometimes necessary to obtain the results desired. Redistricting and gerrymandering, by rachel roberson.
Had i read it in advance of november, id have found no suspense as the returns rolled in. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading gerrymandering in america. The science of gerrymandering is now so precise that most incumbents main fear is a primary challenge, and here the best defense is to play to the lunatic fringe. Trace the map symbols and let students add their district lines.
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