Reapportionment & Redistricting For the House of Representatives.

Reapportionment & Reapportionment & RedistrictingRedistrictingFor the House of RepresentativesFor the House of Representatives

In the Senate, every state gets In the Senate, every state gets represented by 2 senators regardless of represented by 2 senators regardless of populationpopulation

In the House of Representatives, In the House of Representatives, representation is based on population…representation is based on population…

Every Every 10 years 10 years the Census Bureau the Census Bureau counts the populationcounts the population

The population of each state determines The population of each state determines the number of representatives in the the number of representatives in the HouseHouse to which each state is entitled to which each state is entitled

This process is called This process is called

Reapportionment after Reapportionment after 2010 Census 2010 Census

After reapportionment, After reapportionment, state legislatures state legislatures set up congressional districts—one for set up congressional districts—one for each representative in the Houseeach representative in the House

This process of This process of setting up new district setting up new district lines is calledlines is called

District lines around Los Angeles

The population in each congressional The population in each congressional district must be about the same—district must be about the same—currently around 700,000 people in each currently around 700,000 people in each districtdistrict

Districts must be compact and Districts must be compact and contiguouscontiguous

Whichever political party controls the Whichever political party controls the state legislature controls redistrictingstate legislature controls redistricting

Controlling parties often use this power Controlling parties often use this power byby

----drawing district boundaries to gain an drawing district boundaries to gain an advantage in electionsadvantage in elections

The goal is to send as many The goal is to send as many representatives from your party to the representatives from your party to the House as possibleHouse as possible

Gerrymandering Video

““Packing”Packing”

including as many of the opponent’s voters including as many of the opponent’s voters as possible into one districtas possible into one district This weakens the opposing party by combining This weakens the opposing party by combining

many similar votes into one voting block, opening many similar votes into one voting block, opening up the other blocks for the minority party.up the other blocks for the minority party.

EXAMPLE of PACKING

Six districts: A, B, C, D, E, FTwo parties : X and Y100 voters.Majority in a district wins the district.

X has 60 % of the voters.Y has 40 % of the voters.

-X has a majority of support in the population, but Y has the legislative majority.- Y has the power to draw the district boundaries.

District Allocation:A: 26 Voters from X, 1 from Y. (X wins district A)B: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district B)C: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district C)D: 26 Voters from X, 1 from Y, (X wins district D)E: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district E)F: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district F)

Results :

TWO THIRDS of the legislative seats go to the minority party Y.

Example of “packing” in Example of “packing” in North CarolinaNorth Carolina

Example of “packing” in Example of “packing” in IllinoisIllinois

““Cracking”Cracking”

dividing an opponent’s voters into many dividing an opponent’s voters into many different districtsdifferent districts This weakens the opposing party by spreading This weakens the opposing party by spreading

the vote out so they can overruled by the majority the vote out so they can overruled by the majority party.party.

EXAMPLE of CRACKINGEXAMPLE of CRACKING

Six districts: A, B, C, D, E, FSix districts: A, B, C, D, E, FTwo parties : X and YTwo parties : X and Y

100 voters.100 voters.Majority in a district wins the district.Majority in a district wins the district.

X has 60 % of the voters.Y has 40 % of the voters.

-X has a majority of support in the population, but Y has the legislative majority.- Y has the power to draw the district boundaries.

District Allocation:

A; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district A)B; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district B)C; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district C)D: 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district D)E: 12 Voters from X, 0 from Y. (X wins district E)

F: 12 Voters from X, 0 from Y. (X wins district F)

Results :

TWO THIRDS of the legislative seats go to the minority party Y.

Example of “cracking” in Example of “cracking” in OhioOhio

Elbridge GerryElbridge Gerry Massachusetts governorMassachusetts governor

The “Gerrymander” The “Gerrymander”

48th District

California 48th Congressional District

Representative for Representative for California’s 48California’s 48thth Congressional DistrictCongressional District

Dana Rohrabacher – RepublicanDana Rohrabacher – Republican