Congress: Filibuster, Redistricting 10/10/07
Electing Representatives • Reapportionment • Redistricting
Reapportionment • The process of re-dividing the 435 seats of the United States House of Representatives, based upon each state's proportion of the national population. • The preceding census is the baseline for determining how many House seats are allotted to each state.
Redistricting • The process by which the boundaries of state legislative districts and United States House districts are drawn to reflect population shifts. • Each state has a different method for redistricting.
Issues in Redistricting • Gerrymandering • Geopolitical concerns • Minority voting strength • Equal Representation
Gerrymandering • The manipulation of electoral districts is known as gerrymandering.
Geopolitical Concerns • In 1842, the Reapportionment Act required that congressional districts be contiguous and compact. Good Compactness Contiguity Irregular
Minority Voting Strength • Minority dilution – Weakening of the minority vote in an existing district by splitting the minority vote among multiple new districts. – Outlawed by the 1965 Voting Rights Act • Minority packing – Taking existing minorities from multiple districts and packing them into one new district. – Court cases have ruled against these districts. – But racial gerrymandering still occurs.
Equal Representation • In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that districts must follow the principle of "one man, one vote” • Each district should have 646, 952 residents • Difficult to achieve in states with one representative (Ex: Montana)
But “One Man, One Vote” Does Not Hold in the Senate • Residents in low population states receive more representation: – Sen. Feinstein (CA) represents 35 million people – Sen. Enzo (WY) represents 500, 000 people • Minorities under-represented: – 26 smallest states (in terms of population) have 11% of the nation’s African-American and Latino residents – The 9 largest (population) states have a majority of ALL people in the nation and 30% of the African. American and Latino population. • Is there a principle that justifies entitlement to extra representation for some groups?
In Washington State • Until 1985, redistricting happened through legislative action • Legislature refused to redistrict through the 1970 s • Court-imposed redistricting in 1972 • Since 1990 s, independent, bipartisan commission does redistricting
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