U.S. politics has created our society’s psychological, sociological, ethical and theoretical framework and construct. Politics primarily aims to amplify the common good among all individuals regardless of race, background, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or religion. Politics are also heavily embedded in American culture. Even the power struggles between political parties can significantly affect the nation.
One critical political tactic in America, which has arguably turned America into a kakistocracy, is the practice of gerrymandering — a term coined in 1812 by the Boston Gazette. Gerrymandering happens when political parties alter the electoral boundaries to create a disadvantage to other parties or groups and a socioeconomic class to maintain a majority of votes and power.
The Gazette exposed how Jeffersonian Republicans manipulated electoral districts and boundaries to win the 1812 Massachusetts State Senate election. Although gerrymandering was a new term, the practice was not. As time passed, gerrymandering started to evolve.
One prominent occurrence happened when African-American males were granted voting rights. By isolating black men and understanding racial tension and stereotypes, it became easier for white majorities to win elections. Ultimately, gerrymandering was a gateway to “corruption” in politics.
Consequences of gerrymandering
Unquestionably, gerrymandering has a crucial effect on the control a political party has within particular states and districts. However, depending on the state, if a political party in power has an opportunity to secure votes, that party will manipulate electoral boundaries to its advantage.
Moreover, gerrymandering affects voters racially and socioeconomically. As a result, political parties mapping congressional districts affects partisan fairness.
“We might hypothesize (in the absence of reliable evidence) that when a party has full control of the line-drawing process, the resulting map is usually skewed in its favor. Conversely, we might expect that when control of the state government is divided–or when a commission or court crafts the boundaries–the ensuing plan is comparatively neutral,” wrote University of Chicago Law School’s Nicholas Stephanopoulos in his 2018 academic paper, “The Causes and Consequences of Gerrymandering.”
Despite this, Democrats and Republicans often remain in control of particular states for extended periods — primarily because federal courts have repeatedly ruled they don’t have the authority to overturn partisan gerrymandering.
“Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions,” Chief Justice John Roberts ruled in a 2019 Supreme Court decision.
Secondly, without the interference of federal officials, ruling parties can outline boundaries that favor their political agendas and parties. Gerrymandering also affects the racial and congressional representation of elections and voting overall. For example, blacks are mainly centered in urban areas and are mostly Democrats, whereas Republicans are dispersed throughout rural, suburban and exurban areas.
Outlining a map that lacks a proportionate amount of black voters suppresses black voices.
“The U.S. Supreme Court held racial gerrymandering unconstitutional in 1960 in Gomillion v. Lightfoot, striking down the bizarrely redrawn congressional boundaries of the City of Tuskegee, Alabama: a twenty-eight-sided figure that removed virtually all Black voters from within the city limits and placed them outside the city limits—without removing a single white voter,” according to a Fordham Law Review article on the racial aspects of gerrymandering.
Although this occurred decades ago, it proves how gerrymandering can immensely affect voters and manipulate elections. Furthermore, racial gerrymandering amplifies white supremacy and systematic racism, consequently plaguing minorities beyond voting rights.
“Both partisan and racial gerrymandering strategies give voters in some districts a stronger voice than voters in others, raising serious constitutional controversy on questions of vote dilution that strain the principle of democratic self-governance and the principle of ‘one person, one vote,'” the Fordham paper continues.
Although African Americans are still voting, systematic positioning and drawn districts do not proportionally represent black votes and unquestionably represent one voice. That voice is majority voters, which further complicates and causes controversy in the voting system.
Methods used
There are two concise methods of gerrymandering: packing and cracking. Packing is when partisan voters are concentrated in a single district, allowing the majority to control that district easily. Cracking is when voters of one party are spread across many districts, mainly comprised of minorities, to group them with larger voting blocks.
However, the cracking method used in minority districts does not have much influence on the opposing party and consequently causes that party to win. “Accordingly, Democrats are ‘naturally’ packed in a small number of districts, allowing Republicans to win more seats (by slimmer margins) thanks to their superior spatial allocation,” says Stephanopoulos.
In theory, urban areas consist of marginalized communities where people cannot or do not vote because of legal stipulations, education, age and political awareness. An innumerable number of people who do not exercise their right to vote distorts the representation of voters across numerous classifications. Secondly, for the political party in power, gerrymandering decreases competition and creates unfairness in the nation’s democracy, which will alter the voting of any election, party, or politician.
Philosophical and ethical implications of gerrymandering
Although gerrymandering affects the entire electoral system, the practice disproportionately diminishes minority-based voting groups. Ethically and philosophically, we live in a society where all citizens are granted freedom, fairness and equality. However, the narrative of America seems only to give a sense of freedom, prosperity and equality.
Politics has been a “whites only” playground for most of history. Marginalized communities are the heart of gerrymandering, and minorities are exploited by racial and prison gerrymandering.
“By packing, cracking, and stacking the minority vote, states can dilute the minority voting strength to ensure that the people and policies that allow systemic racism and voter suppression to maintain such strong hold on the Unites States remain in power,” wrote Laura Odujinrin in the University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review.
Underrepresenting minority voices, opinions and votes causes corruption and unfairness in politics but also intensifies white supremacy through subtle strategies to remain in control of public offices unethically and immorally.
Featured Image: Photo by devn on Unsplash
Edited by: James Sutton
