Congress #2
Gerrymandering
Quick Review:
1. How many representatives does
each state send to the S? To the
HR?
2. How many total Senators are there?
Total representatives?
3. How old do you have to be to be a
Senator? To be a member of the
HR?
4. How many years is one term as a
Senator? As a member of the HR?
HR
• Single Member Districts: One
person elected from each section
Apportionment
• The total number of seats in HR =
435
• US apportions (divides) the number of
seats per state by population
• Every state gets at least 1 rep
• CA = 53
– Pg. 268
REDO
• Census: every 10 years,
counts population
• As population shifts states
may add/lose seats:
REapportion (re-do the
apportionment)
2010 Census
In the states…
CA Congressional
District #35, Maxine
Waters
• Once the state is given
the # of seats:
– State legislatures
divide the state into
districts (one section
that elects 1 person to
HR)
– called REdistricting
Show California Map
http://www.calvoter.org/voter/map
s/statewide/congress.pdf
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/fi
ndyourreps.xpd?state=CA&district
=36
Rules of Creating Districts
1. Equal numbers of people in
each district
2. Contiguous (or connected)
3. “Reasonable” Shape
Rule Breakers
• Malapportionment: districts have
unequal #’s of ppl = unfair & illegal
– Baker v. Carr (1962) & Wesberry
v. Sanders (1964)
• “one man, one vote”
Gerrymandering
• Gerrymandering: divide districts so
that one party has an advantage
(always wins or loses elections)
• Fair if “reasonable”
• http://www.redistrictinggame.com/
The Original “Gerrymander”
Who’s in the
th
110
Congress?
HR
African Americans 42 (10%)
Latino/as
27 (5%)
Asians
4 (1%)
Native American
1
Arab American
0
Total:
74
S
1 (1%)
3 (3%)
2 (2%)
0
1
7
Women
16
68
Racial Gerrymandering
• Racial Gerrymandering: dividing a region
so that an ethnic minority group has the
majority in that region and will then elect
minorities to Congress
• AKA majority – minority district
• Like all gerrymandering, it can be legal or
illegal depending on the reasonableness
of its shape
Racial Gerrymandering in Illinois
• The unusual
"earmuff" shape of
the 4th
Congressional
District of Illinois
connects two
Hispanic
neighborhoods
while remaining
contiguous by
narrowly tracing
Interstate 294.
California has voted to allow
ordinary citizens to draw district
lines, instead of elected politicians.
Will this be better?
HW
• Due tomorrow: article for your project, 1
per person (NOT group)
• Due FRI: 2 document analyses –
– Remember a DA consists of a summary (just
the facts) and your reaction (opinion)
– Gerrymandering article / for your reaction
include a response to the article’s headline –
your vote doesn’t count – is this true?
– Pork article
– Staple 2 together & turn in on Friday