What is Gerrymandering?

Manipulate Boundaries word cloud on a white background.

The term is often used generically to refer to misshapen political districts, but gerrymandering has specific legal and policy meanings in the context of redistricting. The two most common types of gerrymandering are racial gerrymandering and partisan gerrymandering. 

Gerrymandering is the manipulation of political district boundaries to benefit an identifiable group such as a racial or ethnic group or political party. Gerrymandering as a general matter is not illegal, however if the manipulation violates constitutional rights or other rules or statutes, a court can invalidate individual districts or entire maps.
.
There are two types of legally recognized causes of action for gerrymandering; racial gerrymandering and partisan gerrymandering. The legal history and requirements for the two differ significantly. Racial gerrymanders may be successfully litigated in a court on federal constitutional grounds as a violation of the 14th amendment. Partisan gerrymandering claims, while in theory are based primarily on the 14th and first amendment - cannot be successfully litigated in federal courts based on the Supreme Court's decision in Rucho v. Common Cause.

Redistricting Basics

Here is everything you wanted to know about redistricting but were afraid to ask. Start here ...
Who's responsible for drawing redistricting maps in your state? ...
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of political district boundaries to benefit an identifiable group such as a racial or political group. Some forms of the practice are prohibited by the constitution, state law and other rules ...
Drawing districts to obtain a political advantage is nearly as old as representative government itself. Legal and moral questions abound as the practice becomes pervasive ...
A racial gerrymander is a legal claim under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. It was first recognized by the Supreme Court in the 1993 case Shaw v. Reno ...
Preparing for redistricting has its challenges. It is a process that normally occurs once every ten years and involves many disciplines such including GIS technology, law, and database management ...
In addition to legal requirements, redistricting involves many other operating rules and principles that often conflict ...
The role of race in redistricting ...
Redistricting litigation is common in all fifty states. Here is a review of the constitutional and statutory claims associated with redistricting maps ...
Equal Population among political districts is a constitutional principle that necessitates periodic redrawing of district boundaries - or redistricting ...
The decennial census data and geography supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau is a critical tool for redistricting in the U.S ...
Prisoner reallocation is the process of adjusting the census data used in redistricting so that prisoners are counted at their previous home address as opposed to the prison. ...
Drawing a redistricting map is fraught with controversy. Enacting the official map can be just as challenging. Here's how states make their maps legal ...