Final answer:
'Divide and Rule' is a political strategy that involves dividing larger powers into smaller, less powerful units to maintain control. It has been used historically by empires like the British in India and can be seen in modern practices like gerrymandering.
Step-by-step explanation:
“Divide and Rule” refers to a political strategy where a ruling power seeks to maintain control by dividing larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. This term is often associated with colonial empires, which maintained dominance by encouraging divisions among the populations they controlled. One well-known example is the British Empire's policy in India, where they promoted divisions along religious and social lines, as exemplified by the Government of India Act in 1935, which established regional legislatures with voting arranged by religious and social categories.
In the context of gerrymandering, 'Divide and Rule' strategies, such as cracking, can be employed. Cracking involves diluting the voting power of the opposition by spreading them thinly across many districts, ensuring they do not have a majority in any one place. This undermines their ability to affect the political influence of elections. Additionally, the concept of Divide and Rule can be applied to situations of divided government, where one political party may exploit divisions to hinder the effectiveness of an opposing party's agenda.