Define gerrymandering and describe its origins. Use examples to explain how it works
Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. Define gerrymandering as the redrawing of district lines to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.
2. Gerrymandering dates back to the early 1800s, when Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry signed off on a salamander-shaped district to help his party win an extra seat.
3. Cracking and packing are two ways to manipulate redistricting. Cracking involves the breakup of a strong minority party district into pieces that then go into other districts. Packing merges pieces of the majority party from its weak districts into a single strong district.
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Which of the following is an example of fire alarm oversight?
a. Responding to a high volume of constituent complaints with an investigation into an agency b. Appointing inspectors general to perform regular inquiries into executive branch activities. c. The Agriculture Committee scheduling periodic hearings to audit the expenditures of the Department of Agriculture d. Requiring regular reports from agencies and reading them carefully to discover violations
Which of the following statements is true about the media?
A. Media are the channels through which those in power talk to the public. B. The messages communicated through the media are always kept private. C. All constitutional laws are applicable to the media like other private businesses. D. Media are not subject to the ups and downs of the private marketplace.