Question

Define and explain the terms “gerrymandering” and “pork-barrel spending”. Do you believe these systems are fair? Why or why not? Use specifics and examples.

Answer 1

Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of district boundaries in order to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group. An example is the "packing" of a racial group, such as African Americans, into a single district in order to reduce their voting power in other districts.

Pork-barrel spending refers to the appropriation of government spending for localized projects in order to bring money to a representative's district. An example would be the federal construction of a highway between two small cities due to local lobbying.

Neither gerrymandering nor pork-barrel spending are fair systems of allocation, as they prioritize local preferences as opposed to the common goals of society.