Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to advantage a particular political party, group, or incumbent. The term dates to 1812, when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a bill redrawing a senate district so contorted it resembled a salamander — a "Gerry-mander." More than two centuries later, the practice is more sophisticated, data-driven, and damaging than ever.
The two core techniques are packing — cramming as many opposition voters as possible into a single district so their votes are "wasted" on a landslide that changes nothing — and cracking — splitting a community across multiple districts so it never forms a majority anywhere. Used together, these tactics can translate a split electorate into a 80-20 or higher legislative advantage.
The consequences extend far beyond partisan fairness. When politicians are insulated from electoral competition, they have little incentive to govern for the broad public interest. They cater instead to the ideological base that decides primary elections in safe seats. The result is a Congress whose positions are increasingly divorced from those of ordinary Americans — a documented "issues gap" that drives the dysfunction we see every day.
Gerrymandering is destroying our democracy. Americans' votes no longer achieve representation of their wants and values. The only permanent fix is a constitutional amendment that makes sure voters' values are represented by those elected to represent them.