Compact Civics
How Your Vote May Have Come to be Undermined: A History
8/20/2024 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
Discover the history and impact of gerrymandering with Cory McCants in this episode.
You may have heard about the concept of Gerrymandering, but do you know its history or how it got that weird name? In this episode, Cory walks us through the practice, how it undermines voter power and democracy, and just what exactly salamanders have to do with it!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Compact Civics is a local public television program presented by BTPM PBS
Compact Civics is made possible by the members of WNED PBS.
Compact Civics
How Your Vote May Have Come to be Undermined: A History
8/20/2024 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
You may have heard about the concept of Gerrymandering, but do you know its history or how it got that weird name? In this episode, Cory walks us through the practice, how it undermines voter power and democracy, and just what exactly salamanders have to do with it!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- I want to talk to you about the monstrous mythological salamander from antiquity.
(salamander growling) What does that have to do with Civics?
Bear with me.
(soft playful music) (tranquil music) Hey, people.
Cory here with "Compact Civics."
In 1812, Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry and his party, the Democratic Republicans hated the other party, the Federalists.
Back then, voting districts were determined by the boundaries of a county.
Gerry and his buddies took advantage of a loophole that gave them the power to draw up new district lines in favor of their party.
The Federalists mocked the most egregious district by illustrating it as a monstrous salamander and tossed Gerry's name on it, and thus gerrymandering was born.
This practice became wildly popular throughout history.
It undermines voter power and impedes democracy by cherry-picking voters for a desired outcome.
Thankfully, it was challenged in 2023 in New York State and lines had to be redrawn.
(bell clinking) Next time, we'll talk about how gerrymandering makes representation unfair and directly impacts you.
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Compact Civics is a local public television program presented by BTPM PBS
Compact Civics is made possible by the members of WNED PBS.