How Do You Spell GERRYMANDERING?

Pronunciation: [d͡ʒˈɛɹɪmˌandəɹɪŋ] (IPA)

Gerrymandering is an infamous political practice in which districts are redrawn to unfairly give one party an advantage. The word itself is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription /ˈdʒɛrɪˌmændərɪŋ/, which breaks down as follows: the "g" is pronounced as a "j" sound, "er" is pronounced as "eh", and "man" is pronounced as "mand", with the stress on the second syllable. The final "ering" is pronounced as "uh-ring," with the stress on the first syllable. Despite its tricky spelling, gerrymandering remains a crucial issue in American politics.

GERRYMANDERING Meaning and Definition

1. Gerrymandering refers to the deliberate manipulation or redrawing of electoral district boundaries for political gain or advantage. The term is derived from the combination of the name "Gerry," which belonged to Elbridge Gerry, a former governor of Massachusetts, and "salamander," as the redistricting map created during his tenure was deemed to resemble the shape of a salamander. Gerrymandering aims to create districts that unfairly favor a particular political party or group by strategically altering the boundaries to concentrate or disperse certain voters or demographic groups.

   The primary purpose behind gerrymandering is to secure an unfair advantage in elections by either concentrating opposing party voters into a limited number of districts, thus ensuring the dominant party's victory in more districts, or by diluting the voting strength and influence of particular racial or ethnic groups. This manipulation of electoral boundaries often leads to the creation of bizarrely shaped districts that do not adhere to geographic, community, or natural boundaries.

   Gerrymandering has long been a controversial practice, as it undermines the principles of fair representation and distorts the democratic process. Critics argue that it undermines the power of the electorate, as voters may find their voices and choices less impactful due to the predetermined outcomes of gerrymandered elections. Efforts to address and combat this issue include legislation, lawsuits, and establishment of independent redistricting commissions to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of political power.

Common Misspellings for GERRYMANDERING

• jerrymandering
• ferrymandering
• verrymandering
• berrymandering
• herrymandering
• yerrymandering
• terrymandering
• gwrrymandering
• gsrrymandering
• gdrrymandering
• grrrymandering
• g4rrymandering
• g3rrymandering
• geerymandering
• gedrymandering
• gefrymandering
• getrymandering
• ge5rymandering
• ge4rymandering
• gerrymanderring
• Garrymandering
• Gerrimandering
• Garrmandering
• Gerimandering

Etymology of GERRYMANDERING

The word "gerrymandering" is a combination of two words: "Gerry" and "salamander". It originated during the early 19th century in the United States. was named after Elbridge Gerry, who was the governor of Massachusetts in 1812 and the vice president of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 to 1814. Gerry was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party.

In 1812, during Governor Gerry's tenure, the Massachusetts legislature redrew the boundaries of their state senate districts in order to benefit Gerry's party. The new district map was created in a way that was clearly advantageous to the Democratic-Republicans. One particular district was shaped in a long, winding manner, resembling a salamander. This unusually shaped district was labeled "The Gerry-mander", as a portmanteau of Elbridge Gerry's name and salamander.

Plural form of GERRYMANDERING is GERRYMANDERINGS

Conjugate verb Gerrymandering

CONDITIONAL

I would gerrymander

we would gerrymander

you would gerrymander

he/she/it would gerrymander

they would gerrymander

FUTURE

I will gerrymander

we will gerrymander

you will gerrymander

he/she/it will gerrymander

they will gerrymander

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have gerrymandered

we will have gerrymandered

you will have gerrymandered

he/she/it will have gerrymandered

they will have gerrymandered

PAST

I gerrymandered

we gerrymandered

you gerrymandered

he/she/it gerrymandered

they gerrymandered

PAST PERFECT

I had gerrymandered

we had gerrymandered

you had gerrymandered

he/she/it had gerrymandered

they had gerrymandered

PRESENT

I gerrymander

we gerrymander

you gerrymander

he/she/it gerrymanders

they gerrymander

PRESENT PERFECT

I have gerrymandered

we have gerrymandered

you have gerrymandered

he/she/it has gerrymandered

they have gerrymandered

I am gerrymandering

we are gerrymandering

you are gerrymandering

he/she/it is gerrymandering

they are gerrymandering

I was gerrymandering

we were gerrymandering

you were gerrymandering

he/she/it was gerrymandering

they were gerrymandering

I will be gerrymandering

we will be gerrymandering

you will be gerrymandering

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they will be gerrymandering

I have been gerrymandering

we have been gerrymandering

you have been gerrymandering

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I had been gerrymandering

we had been gerrymandering

you had been gerrymandering

he/she/it had been gerrymandering

they had been gerrymandering

I will have been gerrymandering

we will have been gerrymandering

you will have been gerrymandering

he/she/it will have been gerrymandering

they will have been gerrymandering

I would have gerrymandered

we would have gerrymandered

you would have gerrymandered

he/she/it would have gerrymandered

they would have gerrymandered

I would be gerrymandering

we would be gerrymandering

you would be gerrymandering

he/she/it would be gerrymandering

they would be gerrymandering

I would have been gerrymandering

we would have been gerrymandering

you would have been gerrymandering

he/she/it would have been gerrymandering

they would have been gerrymandering