The Downfalls of Gerrymandering

While many in the United States and abroad are aware of the exceedingly harsh climate of US politics, there is a different sort of partisan battle that may impact American voters much more than fiery speeches: the practice of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is, in a simple sense, the redrawing of state districts to give one party an advantage over another. Though a majority of politicians and news sources alike paint gerrymandering as an issue of partisan politics, few have looked into the impact of such practices on citizens themselves, along with the extent they transcend party lines. In this paper, I reviewed literature from the Brennan Center for Justice, along with PBS News Transcripts and court documents from US and state Supreme courts. In addition, I reviewed state district maps from the partisan state of California, along with research on independent commissions and state action regarding gerrymandering. The findings indicate that, whilst gerrymandering is widespread in swing states, the practice is prevalent in both swing and partisan states. Additionally, independent commissions, despite not having an impact on state partisanship, are still a potential solution to combat gerrymandering due to their potential to increase voter satisfaction.