For this discussion, we will consider how gerrymandering currently affects Texas politics, and how gerrymandering has been used historically in Texas politics. Gerrymandering is a political strategy to redraw Congressional districts in a way that engineers the outcomes of elections to favor one party or another.
Instructions
- 1. For a background to gerrymandering, reference course materials and watch this video that presents an overview on how legislators stay in power as a result of legislative redistricting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s6erd5MbEY
- Next, go to the Texas Tribune website that shows the new voting maps based on the 2020 Census, and type in your address to view any changes between the 2010 and 2020 voting maps:
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2021/texas-redistricting-map/
- Consider how demographics changes like race, ethnicity, or partisanship influence voting and election outcomes.
- Think about political motivations for making these particular changes between the 2010 and 2020 maps.
- In a concise (250-300 words) post, answer the following questions utilizing course materials, concepts, and the information above:
- How will the demographic and geographical changes between your 2010 and 2020 voting district change political outcomes for elections? How does gerrymandering affect you or voters in the district?
- How do historical, social, political, economic, and cultural forces in Texas lead to the legislature’s and parties’ use of gerrymandering? Consider Texas’s political cultures, dominant ideologies, partisanship, and social or demographic changes in this answer.
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