All Flashcards
What is the definition of Internal Boundaries?
Lines or borders dividing an area into smaller entities within a larger whole.
What is the definition of Redistricting?
The process of drawing electoral district boundaries, typically every ten years after the census.
What is the definition of the Census?
A population count that happens every ten years to collect information about the population.
What is the definition of Gerrymandering?
Manipulating district boundaries for political advantage, often to favor a particular party or group.
Define 'Cracking' in gerrymandering.
Dispersing a group of voters into several districts to prevent them from forming a majority.
Define 'Packing' in gerrymandering.
Combining similar voters into one district to minimize their influence in other districts.
Define 'Stacking' in gerrymandering.
Combining minority voting groups with higher turnout majority groups, diluting minority voting power.
Define 'Hijacking' in gerrymandering.
Redrawing districts to force two representatives of the same party to run against each other.
Define 'Kidnapping' in gerrymandering.
Moving a supported elected official to an area where they are no longer supported, through redistricting.
What is the purpose of internal boundaries?
To define and distinguish areas within a larger whole for organizational or administrative purposes.
What are the causes and effects of gerrymandering?
Causes: Political desire for power, partisan advantage. Effects: Disproportionate representation, reduced competitiveness, voter apathy, and undermining democratic principles.
What are the causes and effects of redistricting?
Causes: Population changes identified by the census. Effects: Altered district boundaries, potential shifts in political power, and changes in representation.
What are the causes and effects of the census?
Causes: Constitutional requirement for population count. Effects: Allocation of resources, determination of representation in the House, and data for policy planning.
What are the causes and effects of internal boundaries?
Causes: Political decisions, historical/cultural factors, physical geography, organizational needs. Effects: Defined areas, shaped political/cultural/economic landscapes, and influenced social interactions.
What is the cause and effect of 'cracking' in gerrymandering?
Cause: Desire to dilute the voting power of a specific group. Effect: Reduced influence of that group across multiple districts.
What is the cause and effect of 'packing' in gerrymandering?
Cause: Desire to concentrate a group of voters into a single district. Effect: Reduced influence of that group in surrounding districts, securing those districts for another party.
What is the cause and effect of 'stacking' in gerrymandering?
Cause: Desire to dilute the power of a minority voting group. Effect: Creating districts with a narrow majority of voters from a different group.
What is the cause and effect of 'hijacking' in gerrymandering?
Cause: Desire to eliminate a political opponent within the same party. Effect: Forcing two representatives of the same party to run against each other.
What is the cause and effect of 'kidnapping' in gerrymandering?
Cause: Desire to weaken a supported elected official's position. Effect: Altering boundaries to move key voters into a different district, reducing their support base.
Compare redistricting and gerrymandering.
Redistricting is the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, while gerrymandering is the manipulation of that process for political advantage.
Compare 'packing' and 'cracking' in gerrymandering.
Packing concentrates voters of one group into a single district, while cracking disperses voters of one group across many districts.
Compare the positive and negative impacts of internal boundaries.
Positive impacts include resolving conflicts and creating distinct identities; negative impacts include splitting communities and hindering social cohesion.