Gerrymandering- creating districts in odd shapes to over/under represent a group
Gerrymandering Works!
• Incumbency Rate: the rate at which incumbents (those who are already in office) are reelected each year. Historically, it’s been 90+%.
Pennsylvania’s 19 Districts2000-2010
• Not aprettypicture…
Our District
• What’s upwith thatweird piecejutting intoMontco?
From the “Greenwood Gash”to the “Murphy Margin”
What the heck is that thing?
N.Y. Senate District 34
N.Y. Assembly District 131
Gerrymandering Activity Part 1
• Get 4 colored pencils (does not have to be red, blue, green, and yellow)
• The big square on the page is a state with 4 districts, color each district (quadrant) a different color.
• Count up how many D voters and how many R voters live in each district. Write those numbers on the lines below and determine who won the election, the D’s or the R’s?
Gerrymandering Activity Part 2
• The big square is still the same state, the D’s and R’s are all in the same places, and they still should have 4 districts.
• This time you are going to draw the districts to give the Republicans an advantage and make them win the election.
• 3 Rules:– All districts need to have the same population (6 squares)– All districts need to be Continuous (or each square
touching another on 1 side). No diagonals, 4 corners, etc.– A tie is not a win