Gerrymandering: Democracy’s Swine
Emilio Falcon
ENC1102
Proposal Essay Rough Draft
Introduction
As Election Day approaches, US citizens continue to incite rallies and show their support for the
candidate of their preference. This iconic democratic spirit is what brings voters to the polls to
elect the individual who will ultimately lead the country for the next four years until the next
presidential election. In a democratic state such as our own, every citizen’s vote is of equal
importance and thus should have equal weight in deciding the next candidate to hold elected
office. However, in today’s political environment this does not seem to be the case.
Due to the process of Gerrymandering, voters are not being represented equally when it comes
time for elections. Gerrymandering is known to be the redrawing of congressional districts in
order to heavily represent the population of a certain party in that district. This allows governors
to favor one political party or interest group by changing the district boundaries to include more
or less individuals that vote for their party.
The term Gerrymandering was created in 1812, after a governor by the name of Elbridge Gerry
redrew district lines for the benefit of the Republican party, and the new district lines formed the
shape of a salamander. With the upcoming presidential campaign, this issue has once again
risen to the forefront of the political conversation, as it has significant implications on what will
most likely be a very close race.
With equal representation being the staple of American democracy, the Gerrymandering issue is
