Word of the Day
April 28, 2021
Gerrymandering
The practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group, often resulting in oddly shaped districts that split or combine communities for partisan advantage.
From Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, whose 1812 redistricting map included a district shaped like a salamander. A political cartoonist combined 'Gerry' and 'salamander' to coin 'gerrymander.'
Usage Examples
- Critics argue that Colorado's new redistricting commission was designed to prevent gerrymandering, but unaffiliated commissioners who lean left may produce a similar result through different means.
- The gerrymandering of congressional districts has allowed one party to maintain power in the state legislature despite losing the popular vote.
- Reformers proposed independent commissions as a solution to gerrymandering, though the composition of those commissions often determines whether the cure is worse than the disease.
From the Show
The practice of gerrymandering dominated Kim Monson’s April 28th discussion as Carol Baker and the host examined how Colorado’s redistricting commissions under Amendments Y and Z may perpetuate partisan line-drawing despite claims of nonpartisanship.