Aim: What issues are related to
Congressional redistricting?
Do Now:
Congressional Campaign Issues:
Malapportionment: drawing the boundaries of
legislative districts so they are unequal in
population
Gerrymandering: drawing the boundaries of
legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes
to favor one party.
Landmark Cases
• Baker v. Carr (1962): The Supreme Court has
jurisdiction over legislative apportionment
• Gray v. Sanders (1963): “One person, One
vote”
• Wesberry v. Sanders (1964): found unequal
district pop. unconstitutional – 14th amend
• “One person, One vote”
• Reynolds v. Sims (1964): State legislature
districts had to be roughly equal in population
• Easley v. Cromartie (2001) – redistricting for
political ideology was constitutional, led to
increase in minority reps
Problems to Solve in Determining
Congressional Districts:
1. Determine total size of the House
2. Allocating seats in the House among the
states
3. Determining the size of Congressional
districts within the states
4. Determining the shape of those districts.
House Size
• 435 Members
• Constitution requires reapportionment
every ten years based on the census
• States can gain or lose representatives