ipl-logo

Pros And Cons Of Gerrymandering

982 Words4 Pages

Is Gerrymandering a Controversial Topic? Gerrymandering is a process where the ruling political party uses the map of their state to draw lines that create voting districts in favor of their party. The result of this is that it doesn’t reflect the voters political views. For about 200 years the government has used gerrymandering during political elections and it continues to be used today (King, Elizabeth) . But recently gerrymandering has become more controversial because people feel that it has taken away their rights as a voter and it swings the votes to one side by a big percentage. Current cases are before the courts to decide if gerrymandering is legal. Some states have been discussing whether it should still be allowed during elections. “Many efforts are underway to remedy this political …show more content…

It allows them to use tactics such as packing and cracking which can have a tremendous impact on elections. Packing is when politicians draw out district maps for each party based on population. Packing can swing the vote because the population of one party could out weight the population of the minority party within the same district, causing the entire district to swing with the majority. Voters feel that the other tactic, cracking, gives them a disadvantage because the political parties are being spread out between multiple districts which causes one district to have the majority party in multiple areas (King, Elizabeth). When the politicians of the party in power have drawn out the voters’ map, they maintain power over the lines of the map. This allows the politicians to select one representative from each district to represent the majority of the voters in that district. This can benefit a political party because it allows them to have more seats in the house. “Eliminating gerrymandering would not by itself dramatically increase the competitiveness of house and state….between the two major political parties” (Mann, Thomas

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College

    1104 Words  | 5 Pages

    For many years, America’s voting system has been criticized, with the main point of interest being the Electoral College. Some say that the Electoral College is necessary to streamline and simplify the voting process, while others say that it is outdated and takes away power from American citizens. After investigating the subject, it is clear that the Electoral College should be abolished due to the three major defects its critics find in the system; its undemocratic nature, its tendency to give small states’ votes too much power, and its disastrous effects on third-party candidates. The first, and possibly largest, defect in the Electoral College is its undemocratic nature. A professor of political science once said that “the Electoral College violates political equality” (Edwards 453).

    Read More

  • Gerrymandering Case Study

    1137 Words  | 5 Pages

    Currently, the Wisconsin court case is relying on the efficiency gap standard that was devised by McGhee. This standard is an alternative to independent commissions. These two alternatives may be the national solution to partisan gerrymandering. Determining which standard is the most effective may prove to be difficult. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the efficiency gap standard, the best way that the standard should be implemented is not by using one of

    Read More

  • Gerrymandering Benefit Political Parties

    289 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing boundaries to benefit the political party in power. An example is Nevada, in which the four districts show the three forms. Gerrymandering was made after Elbridge Gerry, who was the governor of Massachusetts and Vice President of the U.S., signed a bill that redistricted the state to benefit his party, which was later called Partisan Gerrymandering. An individual observed the oddly shaped district as a "gerrymander" causing a newspaper reporter to print a cartoon of a monster based on it.

    Read More

  • Gil Vs Whitford Case Summary

    490 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is shown in an article written by Quartz that states that “Wisconsin’s partisan gerrymandering deprived citizens of their constitutional right to a vote with value” in other words would diminish a person's

    Read More

  • Shelby County V. Holder's Argumentative Analysis

    226 Words  | 1 Pages

    We see multiple successes of voting equality attempted through amendments, however, the Supreme Court’s decision on Shelby County v. Holder has pushed back years and years of effort for voting rights. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling was in Shelby County’s favor, stating that the Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional along with Section 5. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr, who wrote the majority’s opinion, said that the power to regulate election was reserved to the states, not the federal government. As a result to the court’s decision, the federal government can no longer determine which voting law discriminates and can be passed. After the case, many states had freely passed new voting laws; the most common voting law states passed

    Read More

  • What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College System

    181 Words  | 1 Pages

    State Rep. Randy Dunn D-Kansas City, has filed House Bill 497, which would adopt an agreement to elect the President of the United States by the nation popular vote instead of by the decision of the Electoral College. House Bill No. 497 comes in response to outdated and unjust Electoral College system. “Every Missourians’ vote should count the same,” said Dunn. “Whoever the majority votes for that given person should be the victor.

    Read More

  • Political Parties Dbq Essay

    649 Words  | 3 Pages

    In that document he was talking about the head of the rival party. Political parties were also responsible for gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is when the political party with the most power gets to draw districts, so they group up as many of their parties members in one district as possible in order to get more votes. Political parties had negative effects on the

    Read More

  • DBQ Essay: The Electoral College

    967 Words  | 4 Pages

    It also makes political parties favored over larger areas because the candidates must get the votes of less populated states, which tend to have much more area in

    Read More

  • Culture War The Myth Of A Polarized America Analysis

    519 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the article Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America, Morris Fiorina addresses the issue of the illusion of political polarization. Political polarization is the separation of political beliefs into two separate extremes. The main illustration Fiorina uses is the use the electoral map. The electoral map is used to gauge which party won an election or polling.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Electoral College

    1966 Words  | 8 Pages

    The United States of America has a rich history filled with success, failure, courage, and drive. Millions have come seeking the “American Dream” and to live in the land of the free. The past is what has shaped this nation’s present and future. Yet, as time drifts, the world around us changes. What was once deemed acceptable can now seem outdated in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Essay On Campaign Finance Reform

    494 Words  | 2 Pages

    Campaign finance reform has been a hot button issue these past few decades in the United States. What makes it different from other issues? James L. Buckley says that “What distinguishes the campaign finance issue from just about every other one being debated these days is that the two sides do not divide along conventional liberal/ conservative lines.” In the Supreme Court case, Citizens United v. FEC, campaign finance reform lessened slightly.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Texas Government

    968 Words  | 4 Pages

    The main advantage is that it removes the concentration of power from one individual. This ensures that abuse of power is limited. Giving different individuals from varying parties will also result in the creation of checks and balances in the executive. A lieutenant governor from the Democratic Party will be able to check the activities and the undertakings of a Republican governor thus ensuring that they operate within the confines of the law and the powers of their office. Also, the system allows for the introduction or the enforcement of the manifestos held by both parties, thereby resulting in greater benefits to the population.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Congressional Gridlocks

    1098 Words  | 5 Pages

    As citizens, the only thing that we can do to help fight against gerrymandering would be to use our legislative powers and fight for more transparent and public system within their states to hold elected officials accountable. Even if we were able to fix gerrymandering, it still would not be enough to fix gridlock. If we were able to fix gridlock, it still would not solve close to any of the problems rooted in Washington. It seems as though we are waiting for the problems to fix themselves, but we need to realize it isn't a problem that can fix itself. Each state needs to work within itself every ten

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of A Political Party

    609 Words  | 3 Pages

    In everyday conversations a subject that frequently tends to arise is American politics. During these conversations a variation of sub topics often occur usually pertaining to the Army’s funding, elections, and the different political parties. One of these topics that tends to cause a lot of feuding is the different political parties. In my family alone, we partake in disputes based on our different political parties, I am a Democrat while my parents are Republican. Often, we participate in quarrels over different events that occur in society.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Federalism

    1823 Words  | 8 Pages

    The Government is the ultimate ruler of the people, sets the ultimate laws of the land and says what goes and when not pleased uses all the means in their power to influence. The basic functions of the United States government are listed in the Constitution. Due to the immense power of our federal government, people often argue that it is too powerful and should be lessened. Sub further the state governments use a sum of power to do the same. There has been an effort to shift power from the federal government to the states.

    Read More

More about Pros And Cons Of Gerrymandering

Open Document