WordValegerrymandering
redrawing electoral maps to favor one party
In more detail
the practice of changing the shape of an electoral district in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections
Examples
- The party in power used gerrymandering to redraw district boundaries so they would win more seats.
How to use gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is used primarily in political discourse to describe the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party or dilute the voting power of particular groups. It carries a strongly negative connotation, implying unfairness and corruption of the democratic process. The term is specific to electoral politics and is rarely used outside this context.
Common phrases
- commit gerrymandering
- engage in gerrymandering
- accused of gerrymandering
- gerrymandering scandal
- racial gerrymandering
- partisan gerrymandering
Synonyms
redistricting · electoral manipulation · boundary manipulation · partisan gerrymandering · electoral rigging
Word family
gerrymander (verb) · gerrymanderer (noun) · gerrymandered (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes treat gerrymandering as if it were a neutral technical term, but it is inherently pejorative and should not be used to describe neutral, regular redistricting that may simply reflect demographic changes.
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