Gerrymandering Research Paper

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The Illusion of Democracy in the US: Gerrymandering and Its Impact on American Democracy.

Morgan Wright Federal Government GOVT-2305 5018 1 Professor Milosz Kucharski 14 April, 2024.

Introduction: The United States is supposedly the perfect picture of democracy. A nation founded on the principles of liberty, equality, and representation. There are many underlying reasons why the United States is not a democracy. This essay will cover one of these. Gerrymandering, the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries for political gain, stands as a prominent example of this systemic flaw. Gerrymandering is a significant factor that undermines democracy in the United States. Its various types and widespread political use show …show more content…
State legislatures, which are responsible for redistricting in many cases, often succumb to partisan pressures and prioritize party interests over the principles of fairness and representation. Furthermore, outside interest groups and political operatives exert influence behind the scenes, shaping electoral maps to serve their agendas and perpetuate the status quo. The person in power is usually the person who requests the redistricting to keep them in power, so the other party doesn’t have a chance to do so. Expanding on Gerrymandering's Impact: Gerrymandering not only distorts electoral outcomes but also undermines fundamental democratic principles by fostering an environment where political manipulation drowns out the people's voice. Partisan gerrymandering allows politicians to handpick their voters, subverting the essence of democracy, where representatives should serve constituents' interests, not the other way around. Additionally, …show more content…
Redistricting and Gerrymandering -. https://www.commoncause.org/oregon/our-work/gerrymandering-and-representation/gerrymandering-and-redistricting-2/ Drew, C. (2023, June). 15 Gerrymandering Examples https://helpfulprofessor.com/gerrymandering-examples/ Krutz, Glen and Waskiewicz, Sylvie, American Government 3e (2021). https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e Smith, P. M. (2023, July 26). The Supreme Court, Gerrymandering, and the Rule of Law. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/the-end-of-the-rule-of-law/the-supreme-court-gerrymandering-and-the-rule-of-law/#::text=The%20reason%20is%20that%20gerr Stephanopoulos, Nicholas, The Causes and Consequences of Gerrymandering (2017). Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers. 629. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2119&context=public_law_and_legal_theory Tudor, G., & Tremitiere, B. 2023, May 7 -. There’s a way to fix gerrymandering. https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/3992810-theres-only-one-way-to-fix-gerrymandering-and-its-not-through-the-courts/ Whitaker, L. (2019, July 5). Partisan Gerrymandering Claims Not Subject to Federal Court Review. LSB10324.
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