Mark the statement below true if that statement is always true and false otherwise.

By skillful gerrymandering, one can get any distribution of seats among competing parties.

Question

Mark the statement below true if that statement is always true and false otherwise.

By skillful gerrymandering, one can get any distribution of seats among competing parties.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating a true/false statement about gerrymandering, I begin by restating the claim in my own words to ensure clarity.
Option 1: True. The statement says that by skillful gerrymandering, one can get any distribution of seats among competing parties. This would imply there are no constraints on possible seat distributions from district boundaries alone. In practice, this is not the case, because political geography, population distribution, legal requirements (such as equal population, one person, one vote), and various court rulings constrain how districts can be drawn. Additionally, some target distributions may be impossible to realize given the number of districts and how populations are spread. Therefore, this option is inconsistent with real-world and mathematical limitations on districting, and is not always achievable.
Option 2: False. This option asserts that it is not possible to achieve any arbitrary distribution solely through gerrymandering. This aligns with the idea that there are structural and legal constraints that limit how districts can be configured. Even with partisan goals, you cannot realize an impossible seat distribution because population counts, geographic contiguity requirements, and equal-population mandates restrict feasible maps. Moreover, there are practical constraints such as minority rights protections and court oversight that prevent certain extreme configurations.
In summary, the assertion in Option 1 ignores the constraints that prevent certain seat distributions from being realized, while Option 2 correctly acknowledges these limitations. The reasoning shows why the statement cannot be true in all cases and why the alternative captures the inherent constraints on gerrymandering outcomes.

VPM Spring 2025 VPM Practice Final

Mark the statement below true if that statement is always true and false otherwise. By skillful gerrymandering, one can get any distribution of seats among competing parties.

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Similar Questions

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