What is the term for adjusting voting district boundary lines, often for political advantage?

Prepare for the AP Government and Politics exam focusing on Elections and Campaigns. Dive into detailed flashcards and multiple choice questions with explanations. Boost your readiness and score!

The term that specifically refers to the practice of adjusting voting district boundary lines for political advantage is gerrymandering. This tactic is employed by political parties to create electoral districts that favor their candidates, ensuring that they have a better chance of winning elections. By manipulating district boundaries, political parties can concentrate their opposition's votes in a few districts or spread them out across many districts, thus maximizing their own electoral advantage.

Redistricting, while related, is a broader term that encompasses the process of redrawing district lines typically based on population changes reported in the census. It can be done without political manipulation. Reapportionment refers to the redistribution of congressional seats among the states based on population changes and does not involve drawing boundaries, whereas voter registration pertains to the process of signing up citizens to be eligible to vote and is not directly related to boundary adjustments.

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