The Pros And Cons Of Gerrymandering

What is “Gerrymandering”? which until now was something that never crossed my mind until I attended my Political Science class. Interestingly, Gerrymandering is a tradition vested for a political advantage by a political party to manipulate the district boundaries. Gerrymandering can also be used to utilize from a race, ethnicity, class groups or religion point of prospect, simply to benefit a political party. “The word “gerrymander” was coined at a Boston dinner party hosted by a prominent Federalist in March 1812, according to an 1892 article by historian John Ward Dean. As talk turned to the hated redistricting bill, illustrator Elkanah Tisdale drew a picture map of the district as if it were a monster, with claws and a snake-like head on

The alternative is to let votes go, in which case politicians who catered to cities would win overwhelmingly, as that is where the population is thickest, which wouldn't be a problem. Also, it allows politicians, who could not otherwise get elected, to be elected, though electing a majority in congress even if they didn’t receive the general ballot support. Politicians make certain votes worthier than others by ensuring that there are no consequences for their actions as it is their party that drew out the district. The reason this is bad, because a politician's main objective is to make a safe district for whichever party holds that seat. In so doing they create 60% - 40% districts in favor of one party or the other. This puts more control in the hands of the primary voters instead of the general election voters. The result is that the extreme candidates in each party primary gets elected and then easily cruises to victory in the general

The solution is a Constitutional Amendment creating a simple geographic based grid system. But the American Electorate is too lazy to engage in such a revolutionary action. A minority having a virtual lock on power over a majority, without any regard for their needs or wishes, is a recipe for civil unrest and dysfunction. Districting was designed to reduce the effects of the popular (citizens) vote. Many of the founding fathers believed that citizens, i.e., the non-elite, were intelligent enough or informed enough to make the decision as to whom should run the country. Proportional representation is the easiest, fairest way not only to eliminate the desire for gerrymandering but also to rein in extremism. If you get 51% of a district's vote, you don't get the entire seat; you get 51% of it. Your opponent, who won 49%, doesn't get nothing; she/he gets 49% of it. That's exactly representative of the people's will. It also means the more people you attract, the more value your legislative vote has. Where, in the Unites States of America, did politicians get the idea not only that they could cheat to win an election, but that it would be okay if they were discovered? I liked it much better when one could shame a politician for breaking faith with the