Glossary
Census
A periodic official count and collection of demographic information about a population, used for purposes like resource allocation and political representation.
Example:
The U.S. conducts a census every decade to gather data on its population, which then informs decisions about federal funding and the number of representatives each state gets.
Cracking (Gerrymandering)
A gerrymandering technique that disperses voters of a particular group into multiple districts to prevent them from forming a majority in any single district.
Example:
To weaken the influence of a minority party, mapmakers might use cracking by splitting their strongholds across several adjacent districts, ensuring they can't win a majority in any of them.
Gerrymandering
The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give an unfair political advantage to a particular party or group.
Example:
When a state's voting map features bizarrely shaped districts designed to concentrate or dilute specific voter groups, it's a clear sign of gerrymandering.
Hijacking (Gerrymandering)
A gerrymandering technique that redraws district boundaries to force two incumbent representatives of the same political party to run against each other in a single district.
Example:
If two popular representatives from the same party suddenly find themselves in the same newly drawn district, it's likely a case of hijacking designed to eliminate one of them from office.
Internal Boundaries
Lines or borders that divide an area into smaller entities within a larger country or organization.
Example:
The distinct state lines separating Colorado from Kansas are internal boundaries within the United States.
Kidnapping (Gerrymandering)
A gerrymandering technique that moves a supported elected official's residence or base of support into an area where they are no longer supported, making it harder for them to win re-election.
Example:
A district might be redrawn to exclude a popular incumbent's hometown and include a new area where they are unknown or unpopular, a classic example of kidnapping.
Packing (Gerrymandering)
A gerrymandering technique that concentrates voters of a particular group into one or a few districts to minimize their influence in other districts.
Example:
To 'waste' the votes of an opposing party, mapmakers might use packing by drawing one district where the opposition wins with an overwhelming 90% of the vote, while the majority party wins several other districts with smaller margins.
Redistricting
The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, typically occurring every ten years after the U.S. census.
Example:
After the latest population count, the state legislature began redistricting to ensure each congressional district had a roughly equal number of residents.
Stacking (Gerrymandering)
A gerrymandering technique that combines minority voting groups with higher turnout majority groups, thereby diluting the minority group's voting power.
Example:
A district might be drawn to include a high-turnout urban minority population alongside a larger, lower-turnout rural majority group, effectively using stacking to ensure the rural group's preferred candidate wins.