why do they do it?
2007-11-06 09:56:46 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
To keep themselves/ their party in control.
2007-11-06 10:03:43 · answer #1 · answered by Your Uncle Dodge! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
State legislatures get to determine where their congressional districts are. The party in power often draws the district lines so that they can get as many supporters as they possibly can into each district.
For instance, a state legislature might make a district combine the east and south sides of a major city, but not the center of the city. This would be because those parts of the city would be majority Democrat or Republican. The result is really weird looking district maps. Parts of the state that shouldn't be in the same district are.
It's perfectly legal, but everyone hates it. And each party tries to do it once they're in power.
2007-11-06 10:02:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In order to take advantage of what they hope will be the predictability of the voters.
There are different kinds of gerrymanders. There are racial gerrymanders, such as the kind that the Sup. Ct. found to be unconstitutional in Miller v. Johnson, 1995. Then there are different kinds of partisan gerrymanders. One type of partisan gerrymander is when both parties agree that they will gerrymander in such a way as to ensure the re-election of as many incumbent politicians as possible, incumbents of both parties. Then there are the kind of gerrymanders in which one party seeks to ensure that their party gains more seats at the expense of the other party.
2007-11-06 10:02:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To get the advantage over their opponents. If one is an elephant and the distict is more donkey the elephants are going to want to redraw the lines to include more elephant precints so they have an advantage. The same applies the other way. If a district is more elephant than donkey the donkeys are going to want to redraw the lines to include more donkey precincts to make the district more favorable to the donkeys.
2007-11-06 10:01:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
To apportion the representatives from the community .
I have looked over the maps and have watched them dismantle the votes from a poor black community giving them no representation at all .
Its common practice in order to control people and insure that poor folks are not represented .
2007-11-06 10:04:17 · answer #5 · answered by TroubleMaker 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why Do Politicians Gerrymander Districts
2017-02-23 05:37:39 · answer #6 · answered by pollmann 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To solidify power within their own party.
2007-11-06 10:03:44 · answer #7 · answered by cattledog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To get more votes going their way, of course!
2007-11-06 09:59:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋