1. Unit 3: The Legislative Branch
Congressional Districts

2. 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/re-apportionment).

3. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Congressional Districts:
Main Idea: Issues with Redistricting (cont’d.)
Notes:
There are two ways of Gerrymandering:
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.
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.

8. 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.

9. Summary:
Why is the drawing of district lines in a state so important? Explain your answer.