What does gerrymandering involve in the context of drawing district lines?

Gerrymandering involves the practice of politicians manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group, which is accurately captured by the statement that it is about politicians selecting their voters. This process can result in districts that either concentrate opposition voters into a few districts, diluting their overall electoral power, or spread them thinly across many districts, similarly undermining their impact.

In contrast, ensuring equal representation would be contrary to gerrymandering’s objective, as gerrymandering often skews representation in favor of those in power. Creating more competitive elections is also not a goal of gerrymandering; instead, it typically results in less competitive districts that favor incumbents or specific political parties. The idea of changing laws could touch on related issues, but gerrymandering specifically focuses on the manipulation of district lines rather than legislative alterations.