Answer :
Final answer:
Gerrymandering significantly affects the representation of political parties in Congress, particularly favoring the party that controls redistricting. It leads to less electoral competition and can result in politicians who are less responsive to diverse constituencies, further polarizing the political landscape.
Explanation:
Gerrymandering is a practice wherein electoral district boundaries are drawn to favor a particular political party over another. Studies such as one by the Center for American Progress illustrate that gerrymandering has resulted in significant shifts in partisan representation in Congress, affecting election outcomes and the balance of power. For instance, after the 2010 Census, gerrymandering led to a net gain of nineteen seats for Republicans in subsequent elections. While this practice impacts local legislative candidates and House of Representatives members, it does not affect senators and presidents who win states, not districts. In Texas, controversial redistricting led to a supermajority for Republicans in the state legislature, highlighting the power of partisan gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering also has induced a decrease in competitive House races, with the 2022 congressional elections expecting only 6 percent of the races to be competitive. Moreover, the practice often results in elected officials choosing their constituents, thereby undermining the democratic principle of voters choosing their representatives. Both methods, 'packing' and 'cracking', are employed to achieve the desired partisan advantage, often leading to serpentine district boundaries with minimized electoral competitiveness. The manipulation of district lines can lead to politicians being less inclined to consider opposing viewpoints and becoming more extreme in their views, which can cripple American politics by hampering compromise and catering to broad constituencies.