Gerrymandering is the drawing of political or electoral districts for the purpose of making it easier for an incumbent party to remain in power. This practice often results in districts with bizarre shapes.
The term takes its name from a political cartoon first published in 1812 in the Boston Gazette. The cartoon satirized a bizarrely shaped Boston-area district that had been approved by Governor Elbridge Gerry. Comparing its shape to that of a salamander from classical myth, the cartoon features a drawing of the district with attached dragon-like features such as claws and wings.
Due to its influence over politics and its anti-democratic nature, the practice of gerrymandering remains controversial. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in Rucho v. Common Cause that allegations of political gerrymandering are not justiciable and can therefore not be challenged in federal court. However, the Court ruled in Cooper v. Harris (2017) that gerrymandering districts based on racial makeup violates the Voting Rights Act and is therefore both illegal and justiciable.
[Last updated in September of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]