Understanding Gerrymandering: A Historical Perspective and Current Challenges in American Politics
The act of Democratic lawmakers fleeing Texas to thwart the Republican-led Legislature's redrawing of congressional districts is a recent example of gerrymandering in American politics. The term "gerrymander" originated over 200 years ago to describe political manipulation in drawing legislative maps. State legislatures, like in Texas, are responsible for redrawing districts every 10 years after the census, potentially leading to partisan advantages.
To combat gerrymandering, some states have established special commissions or bipartisan panels to oversee redistricting. However, in states where one party controls both the legislature and governor's office, they can draw districts to their advantage. Gerrymandering tactics include packing opposing party voters into a few districts or diluting their power across multiple districts.
The term "gerrymander" dates back to 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry redrew state Senate districts to favor his party, leading to the creation of oddly shaped districts. The Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that federal courts cannot intervene in partisan gerrymandering cases, leaving the issue to state courts. While challenging legislative districts on political grounds is challenging, the Supreme Court has upheld challenges based on racial discrimination.
Statisticians and political scientists have developed methods to quantify the partisan advantage resulting from gerrymandering. Republicans utilized the 2010 census data to create a strong gerrymander, leading to a political advantage in many states. Democrats responded to counter Republican gerrymandering after the 2020 census, and the adoption of redistricting commissions helped limit gerrymandering in some states. The 2022 elections showed a more balanced outcome, with Republicans winning just one more U.S. House seat than expected based on their national vote share.