Bushmanders and Bullwinkles

This text focuses on the story of political cartography and the redrawing of congressional districts in the US. The title combines the term "gerrymander" - which means to apportion electoral districts in such a way as to give the political party in power an advantage when representatives are elected - with the surname of the president who actively tolerated racial gerrymandering, and draws attention to the ridiculously shaped congressional districts that evokes the antlers of the moose who shared the cartoon-spot with Rocky the Flying Squirrel. Using a cartographic outlook, Mark Monmonier examines the political tales maps tell when votes and power are at stake. While exploring the debates over the proper roles of natural boundaries, media maps, census enumeration and ethnic identity, the book also asks if the focus on form rather than function may be little more tha a distraction from the larger issues, such as election reform.