Reconsidering Gerrymandering’s Role in Democracy
By: Saoirse O'Lionain
Fox News has rediscovered gerrymandering! In early August of 2025, the Fox News Channel went great lengths to villainously introduce the concept of gerrymandering to its viewers. Following controversy within Texas regarding conservative gerrymandering, on the 5th of the month, host Sean Hannity used his evening news segment to explain the effects of electoral re-districting, as well as present several instances of what he believed to be gerrymandering within ‘deep-blue’ states. While the situation in Texas has allowed for gerrymandering to become conservatives’ hot topic of the month, this practice has been pursued since the dawn of time, on both sides of the political spectrum. Though often frowned upon, gerrymandering, the deliberate manipulation of electoral boundaries amongst voting districts, has many benefits that Fox News failed to mention; these benefits include reduction of the incumbency advantage, increased representation for minority groups, and decreased incentive for strategic voting. As the United States reaches never-before-seen levels of political polarization, it is of heightened importance that legislators explore the best possible ways to represent all of the diverse opinions that make up this nation, and one avenue for achieving that is gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering helps to weaken the incumbency advantage, the upperhand that current office-holders have in future elections; the incumbency advantage enables tyranny of the minority and ensures that diverse candidates often have less access to political power, given that white males are currently the most populous demographic of current office-holders. Gerrymandering mitigates this problem by intentionally breaking up naturally forming districts that highly favor incumbents, in order to increase the chances that another candidate is elected. This practice allows for political growth and development, as well as accounts for all of the perspectives within a region rather than just granting electoral power to a select few highly populated, highly opinionated communities that may not recognize the need for change.
We all value representation, and gerrymandering can be used as a unique strategy to ensure elected officials truly reflect the constituencies they serve. As it stands, minority groups are often swept under the rug, with a limited ability to influence political outcomes. Still, the nation depends on all kinds of minority groups for labor, taxes, and culture. When these groups are underrepresented, they are unable to perform the duties society depends on them for, in addition to suffering financial and physical setbacks. If voting districts are unregulated, the minority vote will continue to get lost in the mob. However, if districts are packed so that small groups of similar backgrounds are put together, there is a higher chance of electing a candidate who represents minority needs.
A third and final benefit of gerrymandering is that it reduces the incentive for strategic voting. Strategic voting is the tendency of citizens to vote for their favorite candidate who has the most likely chance of being elected rather than their overall favorite candidate. In other words, voters make electoral sacrifices to avoid their least preferred outcome. When districts are not gerrymandered, people are more inclined to make these sacrifices because their favorite candidate is not competitive within their specific district, despite support in other places. Yet, if districts are drawn so that communities with aligned preferences may vote together, these candidates may stand a fighting chance, and voters are therefore not forced to make concessions.
To play the devil’s advocate, those in opposition of gerrymandering may tell you that, by interfering with the electoral process, redistricting falls short in holding politicians accountable. The Harvard Gazette explains that if candidates can rely on certain districts to re-elect them without fail, “there’s less incentive to respond to what voters want”. However, the predictability of district voting patterns, as guaranteed by gerrymandering, makes it so that politicians know exactly who is responsible for keeping them elected and therefore will go above and beyond to maintain voter satisfaction. In this way, gerrymandering can actually be used as a tool to keep politicians in check via ensuring they represent their constituents. Of course, gerrymandering still possesses flaws related to geographic polarization and government interference, but, generally speaking, its most important benefits get washed over in the media’s smear campaign.
Though imperfect, gerrymandering can be a useful tool for increasing voter satisfaction through challenging incumbents, diversifying political representation, and preventing voters from making electoral sacrifices. Whether or not Americans choose to recognize it, gerrymandering is pivotal to maintaining widespread political representation. So, while Fox News may tell you that gerrymandering has become democrats’ weapon of choice, consider how it may be beneficial to you, regardless of where you stand politically.
