Gerrymandering refers to the targeted redrawing of election constituencies so as to benefit a particular party. This is especially important where the electoral system is "first past the post" in each constituency (i.e. one winner is selected in each constituency based on a majority of votes won) and where there is no other provision for proportional representation (as for example in the German system). For a simple illustration of gerrymandering, if a region consists of districts 1, 2, 3, ..., 9 with districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 favouring party P and 7, 8, 9 favouring party Q, then grouping of districts to constituencies as {1,2,3}, {4,5,6}, {7,8,9} will give two seats to party P and one seat to party Q, whereas the grouping {1,2,7}, {3,4,8}, {5,6,9} will give all three seats to party P, as they will secure a majority in each constituency. Which of these statements can be deduced from the above?
Understanding Gerrymandering and Electoral Impact
The question asks to deduce a statement from the provided text about gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is defined as the intentional manipulation of electoral district boundaries to gain an advantage for a particular political party.
Analyzing the Deduction
Let's evaluate each statement based on the provided text:
-
Statement 1: "Gerrymandering implies that constituency boundaries can sometimes be drawn to favour one party over the other."
Reasoning: The text explicitly defines gerrymandering as "the targeted redrawing of election constituencies so as to benefit a particular party." This statement is a direct restatement of the definition and is therefore deducible.
-
Statement 2: "Gerrymandering implies that proportional representation is impossible when districts are grouped to form constituencies."
Reasoning: The text mentions gerrymandering is important where the system is "first past the post" and "where there is no other provision for proportional representation." It does not state that proportional representation becomes impossible; rather, it highlights the conditions where gerrymandering is particularly effective due to the absence of PR.
-
Statement 3: "To counteract gerrymandering political parties should concentrate on districts where they are favoured."
Reasoning: The provided text explains what gerrymandering is and illustrates its effect. It does not offer any advice or strategies on how political parties can counteract it.
-
Statement 4: "The grouping of districts to constituencies has very little impact on proportional representation."
Reasoning: The example clearly demonstrates that the grouping of districts has a significant impact on the seat allocation. In the example, different groupings lead to drastically different outcomes (2 seats for P vs. 3 seats for P), which is the opposite of proportional representation and shows a substantial impact.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, only the first statement can be directly deduced from the information provided in the text. The definition of gerrymandering directly supports this conclusion.
Important Questions from Analytical Reasoning Drawing Reasonable Inferences from Passages
- Suppose, your last year taxable income was Rs. 22000. Due to hike in salary, your taxable income this year is Rs. 34200. The details for tax calculation are given in the table below.Consider the appropriate tax slab corresponding to your income. What is the additional amount of tax you need to pay this year compared to last year?
Income range (Rs.) Tax slab (Rs.) 0 to 5000 2% of income Greater than 5000 to 10000 100 + 3% of income over 5000 Greater than 10000 to 20000 250 + 5% of income over 10000 Greater than 20000 to 30000 750 + 8% of income over 20000 Greater than 30000 to 50000 1550 + 10% of income over 30000 Greater than 50000 to 100000 3550 + 20% of income over 50000 Identify the title of the poem in which the following lines appear:
"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint
For in everything he did he served the greater community."
- In Plato's idea of the Republic there is no place for the _________.
- Which of the following novels by Chinua Achebe derives its title from W. B. Yeats's poem “The Second Coming"?
- Identify the commonality shared by the authors of Mansfield Park and Middle March:
