Political Geography and Electoral Systems

Federal state – Power is shared between national and regional governments. Unitary state –

Power is held mainly by the national government. Internal boundaries – Divisions inside

a country (states, provinces, counties). Redistricting – Redrawing voting

district lines after the census. Reapportionment – Changing how many House seats each

state gets based on population. Gerrymandering – Changing district lines to help one

political group. Minority-majority district – A district where most people are from a minority

group. Excess vote – Packing one group into one district to limit their power elsewhere.

Wasted vote – Spreading voters out so they cannot win a district. Stacked vote – Weird-shaped districts that link