1. Apportionment and Gerrymandering

2. Objectives By the end of the lesson, students will…
Describe the purpose of the census
Explain reapportionment and gerrymandering

3. The Census What is a census?
A complete count of the population
Done every 10 years in America- constitutional requirement (Article I, Section 2)
Measures population shifts
A change in the numbers of the different groups of individuals making up a population

6. Apportionment What is apportionment?
The process of dividing the 435 seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population
Every 10 years, the country is redistricted (aka reapportioned)
The redrawing of boundaries to that its residents have a fair and and equal share in the way they are governed

7. The Census The last Census was in 2010
The population is used to determine the amount of representatives in a state
Larger states will have more power, smaller states will have less power (Sound familiar?
State legislatures redraw the district lines

8. Representation How many representatives should Tennessee have?
308,747,716 (2010 U.S. Population)
435 members in the House of Representatives
US Population / Rep. = x (amount of people in a district)
308,747,716 /435= x
TN State Population = 6,600,299 (Census 2015 estimate)
6,600,299/x = y
Y= # of districts/reps

9. Districts must be… As equal in population as possible
As compact as possible
Can’t unfairly break up or compact people of a minority race
Adjoining
All parts of the district must be connected

10. 2000
Memphis, 2000 – 690,186
Nashville, 2000 – 569,891

11. 2010

12. Redistricting and Gerrymandering
After states are told how many districts they have been apportioned, the state legislature draws new districts
Gerrymandering occurs when the party in charge of the state government draws the lines in a manner that favors their party
Both Democrats and Republicans do this
If you combine together the votes of everyone in the House of Representatives, Republicans got 1.1 million less votes than Democrats but retained a 33 seat majority (2010)

14. Video Review
What is cracking?
What is packing?

15. Presidential Vote by County

16. District 1. Republican 76% District 2. Republican 74% District 3
District 1 Republican 76% District 2 Republican 74% District 3 Republican 61% District 4 Republican 55%
District 5 Democrat 62% District 6 Republican 76% District 7 Republican 71% District 8 Republican 68% District 9 Democrat 75%
2012 Congressional Results

17. Illinois’ 4th District

18. Apportionment activity!

19. Review What is the Census? What is reapportionment?
How often does the U.S. redraw district lines?
What is gerrymandering?

20. Directions Each district must equal in population
There are 7 districts, so figure out how many people need to be in each
I will assign you a political party
Your political party must have the majority of districts in the state
You can use cracking or packing

21. Democrats

22. Republicans