Final answer:
Gerrymandering is primarily the responsibility of state legislatures, which redraw district lines to favor their own political party during census periods. This practice, dating back to the early 19th century, has faced criticism for reducing electoral competitiveness and fairness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gerrymandering districts are created by state legislatures. The process involves redrawing district lines to favor the political party that controls the state legislature at the time of a census. Gerrymandering benefits local legislative candidates and members of the House of Representatives, as they run in districts, but it does not directly benefit Senators and Presidents as they are elected at a statewide or nationwide level.
The practice has evolved over time, especially with technological advancements in data collection and analysis, allowing for more precise manipulation of district boundaries to favor specific political interests.
However, this manipulation of electoral boundaries is criticized for undermining democratic principles and has led to movements in some states to remove this power from legislatures in order to create fairer and more competitive districts. The cartoon about Elbridge Gerry's salamander-shaped district from 1812 characterizes the distorted nature of some gerrymandered districts.