American Government
and Organization
PS1301-164
Friday, 26 September
Review
Quiz
Descriptive Representation
Gerrymandering
Gerrymander takes its name from Gov.
Elbridge Gerry (1810-1812) of Mass
whose party created an artful electoral
map intended to maximize its seats.
Contemporary observers latched onto one
district in particular, in the shape of a
salamander, and pronounced it a Gerrymander.
Gerrymandering
Equal populations
Partisan
Incumbency
Racial
Supreme Court Decisions
Baker vs. Carr (1962) launched the
“reapportionment revolution”. The suit was
brought by urban plaintiffs in Tennessee who
challenged their state legislature’s failure to
reapportion despite widespread population shifts
Malapportionment refers to inequalities in district
populations. Court ruled that it violates the 14th
Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection of
the laws. “One person one vote”.
Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) Decision was
extended to U.S. House of Representatives
Consequences
Massive Redistricting
Further Litigation
Democratic advantage (control of state
legislatures and the courts)
Incumbency advantage
Racial Gerrymandering
Voting Rights Act of 1965 restrained states from
diluting (cracking) minority votes.
Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965,
Mississippi had a majority district (66%)
continued to elect white congressman because
blacks were denied the right to vote.
1982 Amendment to the Voting Rights Act of
1965 fostered the creation of majority-minority
districts.
Majority Minority Districts
Thornburg v Gingles (1986) The decision by the
Supreme Court enunciated tests to determine
whether a minority’s representation had been
compromised



Is the group large enough and located in a compact
enough area to elect a representative if grouped into
a single district?
Is the group politically cohesive?
Is there evidence of racially polarized voting by the
majority against candidates of that group?
Majority Minority Districts
In 1990--creation of 15 new African
American districts (total of 32)
Creation of 9 new Latino districts (total of
20).
All but one of these districts elected a
minority
North Carolina’s 12th linked black
neighborhoods along 160 miles of I85 from
Durham to Charlotte.
Racial Gerrmandering
Supreme Court Intervenes
Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Under a 5-4 ruling, two North Carolina
districts were declared--the 1st and the 12th
in violation of the equal protection under the
law by diluting white votes the districts were
criticized for being too irregular--looked like
segregation by race.
Texas Districts
The Debate: Democrats have a 17-15 majority in the
current Texas congressional delegation.
State lawmakers failed to redraw the congressional
district in 2001. Proposals were submitted to state and
federal courts and a decision was made in November
2001 to adopt the districts for the 2002 election.
The GOP is pushing plans that would give them as many
as 21 seats. Link to Save Texas Reps
Current and proposed districts: On September 24 both
houses of the Texas Legislature voted to adopt the plan.
Consequences