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Behind the scenes however, the courts, political parties, and other interested parties are debating the extent to which partisan gerrymandering dilutes voting power and therefore impacts U.S. elections. Although the effect of recent (and forthcoming) Supreme Court rulings over congressional district boundaries is not yet known, it is certain that the issue will continue to be fi ercely debated and scrutinized, particularly after the 2020 Census. The current debate over this long-standing practice in American elections makes for a fascinating opportunity to discuss with students the past and present motivations behind gerrymandering and its impact on government. Gerrymandered Districts across Time Visualizing the changes in congressional districts is a great way to learn and understand possible gerrymandering. In this way, students can easily observe the extent to which lawmakers manipulate district boundaries to benefi t one group over another. Historically, gerrymandering has been driven by racial and political motivations to control who is in power, and more importantly, who is not in power. The 12th Congressional District in North Carolina, for example, has been the subject of multiple legal challenges alleging racially motivated gerrymandering. In the U.S. Political Stats maps below, students can see how District 12 boundaries have changed over the past two decades. Viewing a side-by-side congressional election map over time allows students to see the impact of changing district boundaries on election results. Students can similarly visualize congressional district demographics. The Real-life Impact of Gerrymandering Conceptually, it can be diffi cult for students to grasp the real-life consequences gerrymandering has had on government. However, as we can see in North Carolina, the electoral impact of gerrymandering is evident. U.S. House elections based on redrawn district boundaries since the early 1990s have resulted in a greater number of Republican representatives than in 1986 and earlier years. During the 2018 midterm primaries, pundits, candidates, and voters debate their positions on hot-button issues like gun control, immigration, healthcare, and many others. U.S. Political Stats Discover a data visualization and research tool dedicated to providing data on the three branches of U.S. government along with election, demographic, social, and economic data. Learn how you can use this powerful tool in your course to bring concepts to life at library.cqpress.com/uspoliticalstats Visualizing actual election returns across time and by district is a powerful way for students to understand how political parties have successfully used gerrymandering as a tool to achieve their own political interests. Fig 1: District 12 boundaries over the past two decades Fig 2: U.S. House elections based on redrawn district boundaries since the early 1990s in North Carolina The different angles of gerrymandering Bringing to Life the Real-World Consequences of Gerrymandering Digital Solutions 8

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