Gerrymandering is defined as which practice?

• A. Redistricting to create districts with equal population
• B. Drawing district boundaries to reflect natural geographic boundaries
• C. Drawing district boundaries to favor a political party or candidate
• D. Drawing districts to intentionally confuse voters

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how district lines can be drawn to influence election outcomes. Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing district boundaries to favor a political party or candidate, shaping who gets elected by the way the lines run. This goes beyond simply making districts roughly equal in population or drawing boundaries that follow geographic features; it’s about bias in representation—using packing or cracking to concentrate or dilute a party’s voters to win more seats with fewer votes overall. The other options describe standards or motives (equal population, reflecting geography, or confusing voters) that don’t capture the political manipulation at the heart of gerrymandering.