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Redistricting, Gerrymandering, and Critical Elections

Redistricting, Gerrymandering, and Critical Elections. So similar yet so different. Reapportionment – redistribution of the 435 House seats based on a state’s relative population. What? The more seats your state has, the more influential it is in Congress

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Redistricting, Gerrymandering, and Critical Elections

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  1. Redistricting, Gerrymandering, and Critical Elections

  2. So similar yet so different • Reapportionment – redistribution of the 435 House seats based on a state’s relative population. What? • The more seats your state has, the more influential it is in Congress • Use census (Every 10 years) to base allotments • Redistricting – redrawing district boundary lines in order to ensure each district’s population in equal. • Why do this? Baker v. Carr – one man, one vote • Gerrymandering – redrawing district lines to benefit/favor one political party over the other

  3. Gerrymandering • Why Gerrymander? • Increase the probability of being re-elected (who can do this?) • Decrease the influence of a minority group • Increase the influence of a minority group • Ensure more party members are elected • Prevent foes from being elected • So HOW can we gerrymander? • Group all minority members into one district • Spread the minority members out so that they can not even win one district

  4. Gerrymandering • Are there limits? • YES! • Can not redistrict along racial lines • Lines must be contiguous • Districts must be compact • Districts must be equally populated • Redistricting cannot dilute minority voting strength • Communities of interest must be protected

  5. Gerrymandering • So….. Do you think gerrymandering is a good thing? Why or why not?

  6. Critical Elections • What are they? • Elections when traditional voting coalitions collapse or shift. Often followed by realignment/aligning elections where new coalitions are formed and the demographic/ideological make up of the two major parties is changed. • When have they occurred? • 1828 – Federalists Disappear! Democratic-Republicans split into the Democrats and the Whigs. • 1860 – Democrats and Whigs are split along the Mason-Dixon line. Emergence of the Republican party • 1932 – Democrats become the party of the poor, Republicans the rich • 1968/1980 – People begin voting on social, rather than economic issues. Republicans are social conservatives, Democrats are liberals

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