Gerrymandering

An unequal proportional distribution of representatives to a legislative body (one state having more representatives than their population entitles them to), unfair proportional distribution of representatives to a legislative body

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

Concentrating partisan voters in a single district, "wasting" their majority vote and allowing the opposition to win by modest majorities in other districts

Spreading voters of one party over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections

Drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.

Redrawing congressional districts to place two incumbents of the same party in the same district thereby forcing them to run against each other in a primary

Redrawing of boundaries of congressional legislative regions, such a congressional district, following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

An election system in which each party running receives a number of legislative seats equivalent to its percentage of the popular vote.

Invalidated unequal congressional districts, saying that all congressional districts within a state must contain about equal numbers of people. The ruling is popularly known as the principle of one person, one vote.

A periodic and official count of a country's population.

The geographic area that is served by one member in the House of Representatives

A person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

The person already holding an elective office

A person who does not hold an office but who is trying to unseat someone who does

A belief that ultimately government power should reside with the people and that government policy should reflect the will of the people.

Favoring one political party at the expense of another

Found the Constitution did not give federal courts the authority to strike down congressional district maps as partisan gerrymanders

a mathematical approach to redistricting that aims to eliminate the element of choice from the redistricting process; districts are drawn by rigorously applying a recursive algorithm that finds the shortest line that divides a given area into two equal parts.

a body, other than the usual state legislative bodies, established to draw electoral district boundaries; generally the intent is to avoid gerrymandering, or at least the appearance of gerrymandering, by specifying a neutral body to comprise the commission drawing district boundaries.