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The Influence Of Gerrymandering In The United States

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Gerrymandering is the process of drawing congressional districts in a way that favors one political party or interest group. These partisan officials like state legislatures and state governors often use three different gerrymandering methods to give their own party’s candidates an electoral advantage. Strategies of partisan gerrymandering following 2010 census has had a huge impact on gerrymandering on the U.S House election results in 2012 and 2014. According to Gerrymandering Plus Ohio, a pdf document posted on Blackboard Sacramento State SacCT, the three gerrymandering methods were packing, cracking and kidnapping. The packing method is one of the most common methods of gerrymandering. Packing concentrates the opposing party’s voters …show more content…
As a result, one of the candidates will be eliminated in the party primary. Based on the Associated Press article, the geography of party choice is a big help for gerrymanderers. Norman Ornstein, an expert on Congress at the American Enterprise Institute, said that Democrats are most likely to live in densely populated urban areas; therefore, Republicans can easily pack Democrats into fewer congressional districts. Republicans were able to exercise the packing method through a project of 2010 was called REDMAP plan, which stood for Redistricting Majority Project. The main goal of the plan to keep or win Republican control of state legislatures with the largest impact on congressional redistricting as a result of reapportionment. Its strategy is focused critical resources on legislative chambers in states projected to gain or lose congressional seats in 2011 based on Census data. Chris Jankowski, former president of the Republican State Leadership Committee, mentioned in the PBS NewShour that “redistricting could have a greater impact in these states because there would have to be more changes to district boundaries.” In addition, results of the 2010 election were more …show more content…
For example, while many Republicans disagree on Obama’s new health law, the Democrats represent a vast majority of people who had no health insurance. In addition, unlike the Democrats, the Republicans are hesitant to raise minimum wage because they do not represent low-income workers and families living in poverty. Nonetheless, having a divided government can benefit the democracy of the United States. The House majority by Republicans can prevent the Democratic president from going extremely “left”. The term “Tyranny of the Majority” can be used to describe our democracy if the country had both the President and the House from the same party. The President and Congress of different parties can also come to a compromise on several issues in order to please the people of

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