But in the past few decades, gerrymandering has become so egregious that it undermines the credibility of House elections.
Most of us know that what mostly stacks the deck is the gerrymandering of congressional districts.
But gerrymandering has cold cocked the pendulum weight, stopped it dead.
A Republican plan, which Democrats derided as gerrymandering, would have eliminated five Democratic seats in Congress.
I do believe that we owe this Republican legislature to that gerrymandering.
He proceeded to enlarge upon his plan for gerrymandering the state—to the advantage of the Democratic party, of course.
He was re-elected six times, but in 1890 was defeated by the gerrymandering of his district.
For a naked, avowed plan of gerrymandering no Government surely ever did beat this one.
The once famous phrase, gerrymandering, some of our readers may remember.
For contemporary allusions to this first example of gerrymandering, see Writings of Washington, ix.
1812 as both a noun and verb, American English, from Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander. Gerry, governor of Massachusetts, was lampooned when his party redistricted the state in a blatant bid to preserve an Antifederalist majority. One Essex County district resembled a salamander, and a newspaper editor dubbed it Gerrymander. Related: Gerrymandered; gerrymandering.
To change the boundaries of legislative districts to favor one party over another. Typically, the dominant party in a state legislature (which is responsible for drawing the boundaries of congressional districts) will try to concentrate the opposing party's strength in as few districts as possible, while giving itself likely majorities in as many districts as possible.