selection of u.s. congress

Each state chooses •U.S. Senators •U.S. Representatives to make U.S. statutes.

Choosing U.S. Representatives

is more complicated.

Every 10 years, the U.S. government takes a national census.

Using census results, Congress Using census results, Congress reapportionsreapportions 435 House seats. 435 House seats.

When states learn the number of U.S. Representatives for their state, they

redistrict their states.

Some states require Some states require run-offsrun-offs so that so that candidates will have a majority.candidates will have a majority.

After all the

shuffling…..

Each U.S. House

District

chooses

one

RepresentativeFlorida U.S. House District 24

Honorable Barbara Cubin

Sparsely populated states choose only one U.S.

Representative!

Rules:Rules:Baker v. CarrBaker v. Carr (1962) The 14 (1962) The 14thth

Amendment’s “equal protection clause” Amendment’s “equal protection clause” applies to voting cases.applies to voting cases.

Wesberry v. SandersWesberry v. Sanders (1964) Each (1964) Each state must insure that each vote counts state must insure that each vote counts equally in selection of members of the equally in selection of members of the U.S. HouseU.S. House

((one-man, one-vote principle)one-man, one-vote principle)

To benefit his political party, Massachusetts Governor Albridge Gerry encouraged his state legislature to draw a strangely-shaped district.

Gerrymandering>Constitutional to benefit one party

over another.

>Unconstitutional to benefit one race over another.

Kinds of legal gerrymandering…Kinds of legal gerrymandering…

Packing Packing place many voters of one type place many voters of one type into a single district to reduce their into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts influence in other districts

Cracking Cracking spreading out voters of a spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in particular type among many districts in order to deny them a large voting block in order to deny them a large voting block in any district any district