The Census and
Gerrymandering
Stephen Solomon
Census As A Tool For Change
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Charles Hirschman, scholar of the concept of
race, studied drastic and seemingly random
changes to the population of Malaysia over.
By looking at the census he saw that as time
passed the colonial census became
predominantly racial and less concerned with
indigenous religion
Race categories were did not always contain the
same choices from census to census
They also included choices that were nothing
more than geographic landmarks. This was all
people can fall into some category and be
administered more easily.
Racial Quantification
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Pre-Colonial rulers did take a census but
only for military and tax purposes.
The colonial census used the data to
administer social services and to enforce a
racial hierarchy
Habits were marked and mapped so the
people could be ruled from above.
They of course ran into problems when
their definition of race was at odds with
the definition of race that had been
formed over time by the people
themselves, not from outsiders.
Gerrymandering
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Modern states use data much like
colonial powers to administer
regions that are not homogenous
Gerrymandering is when borders
of a district are manipulated to
form a political advantage.
Democracies that use the first
past the post system to elect a
single candidate to represent a
district are at a greater risk for
gerrymandering.
Many countries avoid this
problem by having only one
district or by having district lines
drawn by an independent
commission
Where Did You Get That Name?
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The term Gerrymandering
came from Elbridge Gerry,
an American politician
The term was coined as a
result of his creative
district drawing in
Massachusetts in order to
give his party, the
Jefferson Republican party
a political advantage.
How and Where Does It Happen?
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Mostly occurs ın the Unıted States
• 36 states have theır dırstıct borders drawn by
state legıslature
• 7 states have an ındıpendat commıssıon
• 7 states only have one dıstrıct
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Under normal circumstances redistricting
takes place after the US census is taken
which is every 10 years
Borders are drawn by drawn by and
approved by elected state politicians
Both parties take part in the practice of
gerrymanderıng
Example of a Gerrymandered
District
It does not just happen ın the US
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Iraq was gerrymandered significantly after
the Iran-Iraq war and during the US
occupation
The mostly Shia province of Karbala was reduced in
size and its remnants were incorporated into the
mostly Sunni Anbar province
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What Are The Effects?
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Less accurate representation
Less incentive to vote
Can erase the political impact of
certain groups
Dısscussıon Questıons
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What are the potentıal changes that can
happen to a communıty as a result of
gerrymanderıng ın the Unıted States?
How can communities that are
gerrymandered to insignificance overcome
become represented?
How ıs gerrymandering different than
census techniques used by colonizers to
manage populations?