R Constituencies

Wednesday,
March 04, 2009

12:00 PM

District a member
represents

Both
the area and its population

House frozen at 435
since 1910

Each
district now covers ~650,000 people

Some
districts are only a few square miles (Manhattan) while others are the entire
state of Wyoming

Each
district must be about equal in population

Districts reassigned
if population shifts in the census

Redistricting - redrawing the border lines
within states

A
very political process for state legislators

Shapes
drawn weirdly to favor a particular group gerrymander

Before
the 1960s - States did not want to redistrict

Gave
much more power to rural areas

Supreme
Court forced them to redistrict in Baker vs Carr

Controversial
in the 60s

But
the 1 person, 1 vote concept became accepted

Today
it’s a very important political process

Race
can be used - but not be the majority factor

And
census undercounts mostly black voters

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R Constituencies

Wednesday,
March 04, 2009

12:00 PM

District a member
represents

Both
the area and its population

House frozen at 435
since 1910

Each
district now covers ~650,000 people

Some
districts are only a few square miles (Manhattan) while others are the entire
state of Wyoming

Each
district must be about equal in population

Districts reassigned
if population shifts in the census

Redistricting - redrawing the border lines
within states

A
very political process for state legislators

Shapes
drawn weirdly to favor a particular group gerrymander

Before
the 1960s - States did not want to redistrict

Gave
much more power to rural areas

Supreme
Court forced them to redistrict in Baker vs Carr

Controversial
in the 60s

But
the 1 person, 1 vote concept became accepted

Today
it’s a very important political process

Race
can be used - but not be the majority factor

And
census undercounts mostly black voters