Question

think about it...
imagine this is the state you live in. the gray and white boxes represent the political leanings of constituents in each region.
your task is to create five congressional districts for the house of representatives. each district will have ten boxes. use
a colored pen/colored pencil if possible.

above: outline 5 districts—
each with 10 boxes, that
would result in the
“white-leaning” political
party winning all five
district votes.

above: outline 5 districts
— each with 10 boxes— that
would result in the
“gray-leaning” political
party winning two of the
five district votes.

above: outline 5 districts
— each with 10 boxes— that
would result in the
“gray-leaning” political
party winning three of the
five district votes.

reflection questions...

1. what does the above exercise show one about the impact of how districts are drawn on the outcome of

elections?

1. why would it be necessary to change or redraw congressional districts after each u.s. census?

1. how would you predict politicians try to influence this process?

1. what would be the most fair way to determine who draws the districts for congressional elections?

Explanation:

The problem involves understanding the impact of district drawing (gerrymandering), census - related redistricting, political influence on redistricting, and fair district - drawing processes. These topics fall under the subfield of Politics within Social Science as they deal with political systems, electoral processes, and political behavior.

For question 1: The exercise shows that the way districts are drawn (gerrymandering) can manipulate election outcomes. By grouping voters strategically (e.g., packing or cracking voter groups), a political party can gain an advantage. For example, in the "white - leaning" district drawing, white - leaning voters are grouped to win all districts, and in the "gray - leaning" cases, the grouping changes the number of districts won.

For question 2: After each U.S. Census, the population distribution changes. Congressional districts must have approximately equal populations (due to the principle of "one person, one vote" established by Supreme Court cases like Wesberry v. Sanders). So, redistricting is necessary to ensure each district has a similar number of people, maintaining equal representation.

For question 3: Politicians may try to influence the redistricting process (gerrymandering) to favor their party. They can draw district boundaries to include more of their supporters (packing) or spread out opponents (cracking) to increase their chances of winning elections.

For question 4: A fair way could be to have an independent, non - partisan commission draw the districts. This commission would be free from political influence and would base district boundaries on objective criteria like population equality, geographic contiguity, and respect for communities of interest, rather than political gain.

Answer:

1. The exercise shows that district - drawing (gerrymandering) can manipulate election outcomes by strategically grouping voters to favor a political party.
2. Redistricting is necessary after the census because population distribution changes, and districts must have approximately equal populations for equal representation (per "one person, one vote" principle).
3. Politicians may influence redistricting (gerrymander) to group supporters or spread opponents, favoring their party's election chances.
4. A non - partisan, independent commission drawing districts based on objective criteria (population, geography, community interests) is a fair approach.