Demographics and Reapportionment
Key Terms:
Using vital statistics of human populations, as size, growth, density, and
distribution to make decisions or set policy, such as identifying
Demographics
consumers.
Not in glossary
U.S. Census
The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or
Gerrymander
group.
To set up new district lines after reapportionment is complete.
Redistricting
Reapportionment Not in glossary
Warm-up Activity: Using the Census Fact Sheet for the Largo Region:
Directions: In your notebook, answer the following questions based on your fact sheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the Total Population?
What is the Median Age of the Population?
How many households are in your town?
What is the average household size?
Activity 1: Demographics
The information you looked at on the fact sheet for your community is called demographics.
Demographics are the characteristics of the population that influence consumption of products and
image services.
products
These characteristics may include sex, age, race, education, occupation, marital status, or the
number of children in a family.
How do we get demographic information?
The United States Census Bureau
provides the demographic data that
tells us about the population of the
country, of the state, of the county,
or of the community in which we
live.
Every ten years, the Census Bureau
takes a census.
This census asks questions about the
characteristics of the people.
The census questionnaires that are sent to residents of the United States every ten years include questions about

basic facts - gender, marital status,
children, race, and age

income and employment

transportation - places of work, commute to work

education

origins and languages - ancestry, place of birth, languages spoken at home

disability and caregivers

housing
The Census Bureau collects and organizes this information every ten years so that government can make
decisions.
Decisions from Census data
Think about…
Why does the United States go through this process every ten years?
Which of the following decisions is made from census data?
Select all that apply.
The number of Representatives that a state receives in Congress
The number of Senators that a state receives in Congress
The number of Electors that a state receives in the Electoral College
The number of Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court
Activity 2: The Effect of the Census
The counting of individuals in the United States is completed
every ten years in the census.
The total numbers of residents (citizen and non-citizen) are
counted and also included U.S. Armed Forces and personnel that
are stationed overseas.
All citizens and non-citizens are counted, regardless of voting
status or age.
If the population of a state increases, the state may gain more
seats in the House of Representatives. If the state loses
population, it may lose seats in the House of Representatives.
States use the census information about population to
reapportion their state legislatures. This allows citizens to have
equal representation.
In the House of Representatives, the population of the state
determines the total number of Representatives a state sends to
Congress.
The population data from the census guides the division of the
435 Representatives to reflect the shifts in population throughout
the United States.
This process is called apportionment. Each state receives a
portion, or part, of the 435 Representatives. In the
apportionment process, some states gain and lose
Representatives.
Do you remember in Activity 1, you were asked:
Question -Which decision is made from census data?
Census data is used to determine the number of representative
Activity 2 Part 2: What is Reapportionment?
Reapportionment is the process of reassigning or redistributing representation based on population after every
census so that legislative districts are nearly equal in size.
This means dividing the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states so that each person
represents a district about the same size in population.
Study the map below that shows Apportionment for
the House of Representatives for the 108th Congress, then, answer the
questions that follow.
The states are color-coded to show the changes in apportionment
between the 1990 and 2000 census figures.
Source: http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/map03.gif
List the states that gained two more representatives in the House of
Representatives?
Which states lost two representatives in the House of Representatives?
How did reapportionment affect Maryland?
Gained 2 seats in House
Garined 1 seat in House
No Change
Lost 1 seat in House
Gained 1 seat in House
Back to Top
Activity 2 Part 3: Demographics in Maryland
While the population changes in
Maryland, reflected in the 2000 Census,
did not cause a redistribution of the
representation, the demographics in
Maryland did change.
Click to view Census 2000
Maryland Profile in a separate
window.
Source:
http://ftp2.census.gov/geo/maps/special/profile2k/MD_2K_Profile.pdf
Look at the chart below that shows the characteristics of the population living in Maryland after the 2000
Census. Look closely at the changes between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census. Use it to answer the three
questions below:
Question 1
Describe the demographic changes from the year 1990 and the year 2000 in Maryland.
Question 2
How might the changes in demographic data from 1990 to 2000 affect government decision
making?
Question 3
What services do you think will be most affected by the changes?
SUBJECT
1990
2000
Total Population
Male
Female
4,781,468
2,318,671
2,462,797
5,296,486
2,557,794
2,738,692
AGE
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 59 years
60 to 84 years
85 years and over
357,818
332,373
297,164
310,650
369,609
2,401,075
666,283
46,496
353,393
391,318
392,135
356,119
314,129
2,688,356
734,134
66,902
MEDIAN AGE
33
36
Under 18 years
Male
Female
1,162,241
593,806
568,435
1,356,172
693,658
662,514
URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENCE
Total population
Urban population
Rural population
Farm population
4,781,468
3,887,981
893,487
32,596
5,296,486
4,558,448
738,038
23,871
HOUSEHOLDS
Families (family households)
With own children under 18 years
Average family size
1,245,814
585,907
3.14
1,359,318
662,172
3.13
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME
Persons 5 years and over
Speak a language other than English
4,425,285
395,051
4,945,043
622,714
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Persons 3 years and older enrolled in school
Preprimary school
Elementary or high school
College or graduate school
1,212,333
92,759
752,393
367,181
1,475,484
171,492
949,515
354,477
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
For Persons 25 years and over
Percent high school graduate or higher
Percent Bachelor's degree or higher
78
27
84
31
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
Total housing units
With no telephone service
1,891,917
55,103
2,145,283
32,001
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 and 1990 Census of Population and
Housing.
Data from Census 2000
Activity 3: Reapportionment v. Redistricting
Introduction
What is the difference between reapportionment and redistricting?
Download the student resource sheet Reapportionment and Redistricting.
Save the document to your computer and use it to complete the activity. This
assignment is worth 30 points.
1. Reapportionment
2. Redistricting
Before reading about redistricting, write a definition in your own words of
reapportionment on your student resource sheet.
Write a definition in your own words of reapportionment.
(3 points)
Reapportionment is the process of reassigning or redistributing
representation based on population after every census so that
legislative districts are nearly equal in size.
Every ten years, the census is completed and the U.S. House of
Representatives is reapportioned. During the reapportionment
process, some states gain seats and some lose seats in the House
of Representatives.
The changes in population reflected in the Census not only affect
the number of Representatives a state receives, but also the issues
that are of importance to a specific district. If there is a change,
the legislature of that state must figure out how to divide the state
into the new districts. This process is called redistricting.
Once it is determined the number of people each representative
will represent, the legislature of each state must study the districts
to see if changes must be made in the boundaries. Redistricting
is the process of revising the geographic boundaries of areas from
which people elect representatives to the U.S. House of
Representatives, a state legislature, a county or city council, a
school board, and so forth. The Governor and the Maryland
General Assembly use census population counts to redraw new
district boundaries in Maryland.
Source: www.senate.gov
Part 1: Redistricting Timeline
Look at the Census Redistricting Timeline below provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, then answer the
questions that follow.
Source: http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/912ch4.pdf
Process for changing a state's district boundaries.
Reapportionment
Redistricting
Process for adding and for subtracting Representatives.
Reapportionment
Redistricting
Which occurs first?
Reapportionment
Redistricting
Answer these questions:
1. What is reapportionment?
2. When does it happen?
3. How does the change in population affect a state?
4. What is redistricting?
5. Who controls redistricting?
Activity 4: Gerrymandering
Introduction
Sometimes state legislatures or governor's draw a district's boundaries to gain an advantage in elections or
benefit their political party. The party in power in the state legislature is responsible for drawing the new
Congressional district lines.
However, sometimes political parties and
the voting patterns of different groups of
people result in a plan that is
gerrymandered, or divided in a way that
benefits one group while isolating or
weakening the other.
Gerrymander
...to divide (a territorial unit) into election districts to give one
political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts
while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few
districts as possible.
source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
To find the historical significance of the word gerrymander, link
to the Library of Congress Gerrymander page.
1. The first method of gerrymandering concentrates the voting power of the opposition into just a few districts,
to limit the power of the opposition party outside of those districts.
2. The second method of gerrymandering involves limiting the voting power of the opposition across many
districts, preventing them from having a majority vote in as many districts as possible.
3. Finally, the last method of gerrymandering involves drawing boundaries to concentrate the power of the
majority party by linking distant areas into specific, party-in-power districts.
Citation: http://geo graphy.about.com/library/weekly/
After you read...
In your notebook, write a definition of gerrymander.
Explain the three ways that a state can be gerrymandered.
Link to Maps to print the maps below. You will use them to answer questions in your notebook.
Source:http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm
Using the maps, answer each of these questions in your notebook:
1. Read your descriptions of gerrymandering in your notes. Do you think the
examples in the maps are examples of gerrymandering? Explain.
2. What problems and challenges might the Representatives of these districts
face as they try to represent their constituency