Answer :
Final answer:
Packing and cracking are techniques of gerrymandering, which is the manipulation of district boundaries to favor one party over another and is the correct answer to the student's question. Therefore the correct answer is option a) Gerrymandering
Explanation:
Packing and cracking are techniques used in the process of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing legislative district lines in a way that favors the majority party in the state legislature. Packing concentrates the opposing party's voters in a few districts, leading to their win in those districts but ensuring their defeat in others. Cracking spreads the opposing party's voters thinly across many districts, making it difficult for them to win any seats.
The correct answer to the question is: a) Gerrymandering.