Introduction
Parties exist to seize and exercise state power and would do anything to capture such power to allocate state resources. When they capture political power, they engage in processes that promise to perpetuate them in power. Gerrymandering is one such process, which involves a sub-division of electoral areas in ways that favor one party at the expense of other parties. This essay seeks to look at the concept of gerrymandering, highlight various examples of gerrymandering, differences between various classes of the candidate, and explain terms like primary, caucuses, and super delegates as applied in choosing of a presidential party candidate.
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering refers to subdividing electoral units in a biased way that gives an unfair advantage to one party over its opponents (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The term got the prominence during the reign of Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts whose government established a law in 1812 delineating new state senatorial units (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The law amalgamated Federal Party ballots in few electoral units and thus gave an unfair advantage to Federalist Party over Democrats and Republicans (Encyclopaedia Britannica). This type of gerrymandering takes the name of partisan gerrymandering and has manifested recently in the United States of America.
In 2002, Senator Guy Velella, a Republican, succeeded in gerrymandering Bronx District to the extent of eliminating his challenger’s house from the district (The New York Times). This gave him the power of incumbency that saw him rule for eighteen years. He would have ruled for more years was it not for his conviction on bribery-related charges (The New York Times). Another instance of gerrymandering happened in Assembly District 131 whose assembly had been under the control of Democrats for many years (The New York Times). Mapmakers in the district worked to protect the Democratic seat. Since the district fell in Republican territory, mapmakers added areas considered Democratic Party’s strongholds to the district (The New York Times).
The second type, racial gerrymandering, refers to the process of spreading minority votes in several districts to prevent a minority group from electing one of their own (Scheidegger). It is a rare practice in the United States and goes against the Fourteenth Amendment as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This protects the minority since there is a probability of judicial remedies when racial gerrymandering takes place (Scheidegger). A court of law overturned an attempt to execute racial gerrymandering in Texas by ascertaining that it went against Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act since it reduced the capability of voters of the United States (The New York Times).
Third-Party Candidate
The political history of the United States of America manifests the presence of two major parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The two parties have produced presidential candidates throughout the history of America. The desire to have a third force gave rise to the notion of a third-party candidate. A third-party candidate is any citizen who vies for a political position through a different party from the two major parties. The term includes independent candidates who vie without formal nomination by any political party. There exists a difference between the third party from an established party and candidates like George Wallace or Rose Perot.
A third-party candidate from an established party represents a party ideology and receives sponsorship by the party to vie for a position during elections in several electoral units of the United States of America. The American Independent Party, to which George Wallace subscribed, could only sponsor him and other candidates within the state of California. Third-party candidates have an influence on elections (America.gov Archive).
Third-party candidates decrease the chances of a candidate from a major party winning presidential elections. This happens during closely fought elections. A third-party candidate takes away votes from a major-party candidate and thus denies the major-party candidate the popular vote, the electoral vote, and the presidency (America.gov Archive). In addition, if a major party has policies that contrast those of a third party, the major party will certainly lose votes where a third party enjoys support. In the recent past, the Nader campaign denied the Al Gore Electoral College election win in the year 2000 by splitting the democrat vote (America.gov Archive). Various terms gain prominence during elections.
Primary, Caucuses, and Super Delegates
A primary refers to the process of electing political party candidates for elections. An open primary refers to a primary in which any voter, regardless of party affiliation, picks a ballot and participates in picking a party’s candidate (Love). For instance, a Democratic Party voter could participate in a Republican Party primary in a state where such a practice exists. A closed primary refers to a primary where only registered party members participate in electing candidates (Love). Caucuses refer to gatherings of party members with the intention of selecting representatives as agreed by different party candidates (Love). Super delegates are either political party leaders or elected officials with full delegate power but who remain neutral in the political process (Love).
Works Cited
America.gov Archive. Third-Party Candidates can Influence U.S. Presidential Elections. 2007. Web.
Encyclopaedia Britannica.Gerrymandering. 2013. Web.
Love, Jaren. Definition of Primary and Caucus System.2013. Web.
Scheidegger, Kent. Defining the Gerrymander.n.d. Web.
The New York Times. Gerrymandering, Pure and Corrupt. 2009. Web.