Internal Boundaries
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| electoral districts | 选区 | xuǎn qū |
| redistricting | 重新划区 | chóng xīn huà qū |
| gerrymandering | 选区划分不公 | xuǎn qū huà fēn bù gōng |
Borders inside a state
- States draw internal boundaries to organise regions and voting.
- Electoral districts 选区 decide which voters elect which representative.
- How the lines are drawn can change who wins.
The areas that decide which voters elect which representative are electoral ____.
Electoral districts are internal boundaries for voting.
Redistricting
- Redistricting 重新划区 redraws electoral districts, usually after a census.
- It should keep districts roughly equal in population.
- But the party in power can redraw lines to help itself.
Fair redistricting or gerrymandering?
Sort each action as fair redistricting or unfair gerrymandering.
Redistricting after a census is always a form of gerrymandering.
Redistricting is normal; only unfair redrawing for party gain is gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering
- Gerrymandering 选区划分不公 redraws districts unfairly to favour one group.
- Packing crowds opponents into few districts; cracking splits them across many.
- Both waste the other side's votes.
Redrawing electoral districts unfairly to favour one party is called...
Gerrymandering is the unfair version of redistricting.
Select all gerrymandering tactics.
Packing, cracking, and bizarre shapes are gerrymandering; equal compact districts are fair.
Match each term to its meaning.
Packing = crowd together; cracking = split apart; redistricting = normal redraw.
Redrawing districts is normal after a census; gerrymandering is the unfair version done for party advantage. The difference is intent and fairness, not the act of redrawing itself. Watch for oddly shaped districts as a red flag.
A party in power redraws a map so that its opponents are all packed into two districts while its own voters form thin majorities in eight — a textbook gerrymander. The opponents may win more total votes yet fewer seats.
Internal boundaries include electoral districts. Redistricting redraws them (normal after a census); gerrymandering redraws them unfairly by packing and cracking to waste opponents' votes and win extra seats.