The Birth of the Gerrymander: When Salamanders Entered Politics

The series begins in 1812 Massachusetts, where Governor Elbridge Gerry's reluctant approval of partisan redistricting created both the term "gerrymander" and a political monster that has plagued American democracy for over two centuries. Alexandra explores the fascinating contradictions of Gerry himself—a founding father who understood the dangers of electoral manipulation yet signed it into law anyway—and traces how a desperate political gambit in a small New England state became the blueprint for nationwide democratic corruption. Through detailed historical analysis and access to original documents, the episode reveals how quickly political norms can erode when partisan advantage is deemed more important than democratic fairness.

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