Investigating Gerrymandering and the Math Behind Partisan Maps
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/learning/lesson-plans/investigating-gerrymandering-and-the-math-behind-partisan-maps.html
Math lies at the heart of gerrymandering, in which the shapes of voting districts and distributions of voters are manipulated to preserve and expand political power.
The strategy of gerrymandering is not new — in fact, the word “Gerry-mander” was first used in an 1812 Boston Gazette article to describe the drawing of a contorted state legislative district by the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry. Many at the time thought the new district looked like a salamander, thus giving rise to the word “gerrymander.” However, new, sophisticated mathematical and computer mapping tools have made gerrymandering an even more powerful way to tilt the playing field. In many states, where the majority party has the authority to rewrite the electoral map, legislators essentially have the power to choose their voters — to create districts in any shape or size that will weaken their opponents and increase their dominance...
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