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Attack of the Gerrymander !.. History & NYLI Resources

ByEmily Moog

One way of achieving a kind of immortality is to have a process named for you. Louis Pasteur discovered that microorganisms caused disease and fermentation and that this could be prevented by a heating process that became known as Pasteurization. Charles Cunningham Boycott, a 19th Century estate manager, refused to lower tenant farmers’ rents during one of Ireland’s many famines. The tenants’ response, a complete withdrawal of all commercial and social relations, has been used by political activists ever since and boycott is now both a noun and a verb.

And then there is Eldridge Gerry who lent his name to the nefarious political tactic of Gerrymandering….

From The New York Public Library

Signer of the Declaration of Independence, XYZ affair conspirator, U.S. Vice President- Gerry has entered lexicon eternity through his use of the political equivalent of “creative accounting.” Massachusetts Governor Gerry’s administration was notable for what became known as gerrymandering, the division of electoral districts for partisan political advantage.

Guide to the history of Gerrymandering — including the political cartoon that compared Gerry’s redistricting to a salamander! — available at PQ Congressional (& included with NYLI membership)

And, boy have there been A LOT of Supreme Court cases on the issue of Gerrymandering style redistricting. Consider….

And as recently as 2019, it is still a question as to whether Gerrymandering belongs in their Court! In Both Lamone v. Benisek and Rucho v. Common Cause, the Supremes stated that partisan gerrymandering presents a political question beyond their reach.…

This ACLU amicus regarding Gerrymandering is available in NYLI‘s extensive Records & Briefs collection

So where does Gerrymandering go from here? It’s at 200+ years old…. & seems to show no signs of slowing down…

Supreme Court Practice… now in its 11th Edition.. and you know Gerrymandering is discussed…available @ NYLI for the borrowing…

For researching Gerrymandering – or any topic! – consider joining The New York Law Institute. Click here for NYLI membership information….

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