Unit 3:
The Legislative Branch
Congressional Districts
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
State
Apportionment
Notes:
• Every 10 years the
Census Bureau takes a
national population
count, or census. This
determines how many
representatives in the
House of
Representatives a state
will receive
(apportionment/reapportionment).
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
District
requirements &
Redistricting
Notes:
• Once a state is assigned its
number of reps. for the
next 10 yrs., state
legislators must divide the
state into Congressional
Districts for each
representative to represent.
• This process is called
redistricting.
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
District
requirements &
Redistricting
(cont’d.)
Notes:
• States have a good bit of
freedom in how they
determine district
boundaries and they have
gained even more.
– EX: League of United Latin
American Citizens v. Perry
– Legislators can redraw
district boundaries in the
middle of a decade, if the
population changes during
that time.
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
Issues with
Redistricting
Notes:
• Some states have abused
this power over time. 2
common redistricting
abuses have been: 1.)
Creating districts with very
unequal populations, or 2.)
Gerrymandering—
drawing district lines so
that one political party is
given more
influence/power.
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
Issues with
Redistricting
(cont’d.)
Notes:
• There are two ways of
Gerrymandering:
1. Cracking: District lines are
drawn to split (or crack) a
district in two, to weaken a
political party who has a
majority in that district.
2. Packing: District lines are
drawn to crowd as many of an
opposing party’s population
into one district to weaken its
scope of influence—the other
political party could carry
elections without interference.
Congressional Districts:
Main Idea:
Issues with
Redistricting (cont’d.)
Notes:
• In the 1960’s the Supreme Court
had to intervene in several states
over the drawing of district
lines:
– Baker v. Carr (Tenn.)—The court
decided that if there was a dispute
over district boundaries in a state,
the Federal Courts could resolve
them.
– Reynolds v. Sims (Ala.)– The
court decided that redistricting had
to be based on population as not to
violate the 14th Amendment.
– Wesberry v. Sanders (Ga.)–
“one person, one vote” was
established so that one districts
votes could not count more than
another.
Summary:
1. Why is the drawing of district lines in a
state so important? Explain your answer.