distribution of seats in house of representatives chapter 5 sec.1 2
DESCRIPTION
I. Size of House of Representatives cont… –3. Territories such as DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, Samoa Islands, each have delegates who have no voting power, but can represent their people in debates.TRANSCRIPT
Distribution of Seats in House of Representatives
Chapter 5 Sec.1 & 2
I. Size of House of Representatives• Has 435 (3) members today.• This number is set by Congress not
Constitution.• Constitution only deals with
apportionment– 1. Apportionment: distribution of seats
among states based on population of that state.
– 2. Each state is at least guaranteed one seat, roughly every 650,000 people (AK, DE, MT, SD, ND, VT, WY)
I. Size of House of Representatives cont…
– 3. Territories such as DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, Samoa Islands, each have delegates who have no voting power, but can represent their people in debates.
II. Reapportionment• Constitution directs congress to
reapportion/redistribute the seats in the House of R. after each decennial census.– A. Census: the department of
government in charge of counting the total population in the United States, state by state.• 1. The 1st congress had 65 representatives
and 26 senators (1789)• 2. By 1920 that # had increased to 435.
II. Reapportionment Cont…• B. In order to stabilize the process,
congress passed the Reapportionment Act of 1929 which provided for:– 1. Permanent size of House of R. set @
435– 2. After each census, the bureau would
deteremine the # of seats for each state.
– 3. When plan ready, president sends it to congress
– 4. If neither house rejects the plan for 60 days, then the plan goes into effect.
II. Reapportionment Cont…• Landmark reapportionment case:
– Wesberry vs. Sanders:• Supreme Court declared that
representatives should be chosen by people of states in the most equal and even way possible.
• Main point: Gerrymandering is illegal!!!!!!!!!!!!
III. What is Gerrymandering????• A. When political districts have been
drawn to the advantage of the political party, or group that controls the state legislature.
• B. 2 forms of gerrymandering:– 1. Packing: to concentrate the
opposition voters in one or a few districts, thus leaving other districts comfortably safe for the majority party.
III. What is Gerrymandering Cont…
– 2. Cracking: to spread the opposition voters as thinly as possible among several districts, limiting opposition’s ability to win any districts.
C. Remember: Gerrymandering is illegal (Wesberry vs. Sanders)