Question

Explain gerrymandering and the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives. Do you think gerrymandering is a form of voter suppression, why or why not?

Answer 1

Gerrymandering is defined as "the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections." It can influence how many and which seats in Congress go to which party. It can be used as a form of voter suppression.

Answer 2

Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to benefit a particular political party or group. This can be done by drawing district boundaries in a way that concentrates certain groups of voters in specific districts, or by "cracking" districts in a way that dilutes the voting power of certain groups. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the population of each state, as determined by the US Census. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative, and the remaining seats are divided among the states based on population.

Gerrymandering can be seen as a form of voter suppression, as it can be used to dilute the voting power of certain groups and prevent them from having a fair say in the political process. By manipulating district boundaries, politicians can effectively choose their voters, rather than the other way around. This can lead to a situation where certain groups are systematically excluded from the political process, which undermines the principles of democracy.