Why Politicians Gerrymander

Ever since the country's start, lawmakers have tinkered with the borders of their districts, trying to give themselves an advantage. Why? Because they can, of course--the U.S. Constitution leaves the lid off that cookie jar. Why call it "gerrymandering"? Blame the founders for that, too.

The story goes that a Federalist newspaper editor was examining the strange shapes on the map when a colleague pointed to one district that "looked like a salamander." "Salamander!" the editor retorted. "Call it a Gerry-mander." The editor added a dragonlike head, wings, and feet to the slim, curved district and ran the cartoon over a headline that read "The Gerry-mander: A new species of monster."

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