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Agenda for Week of Sep 17

Agenda for Week of Sep 17. WEDNESDAY Readings for today … A Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting, 2010 Edition | Brennan Center for Justice, 6-66 . http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/redistricting_101

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Agenda for Week of Sep 17

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  1. Agenda for Week of Sep 17 WEDNESDAY Readings for today … • A Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting, 2010 Edition | Brennan Center for Justice, 6-66. • http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/redistricting_101 • Persily, Nathaniel. 2010. “The Law of the Census: How to Count, What to Count, Whom to Count, and Where to Count Them." 755-789. • Streb, Ch. 7, 97-116 • Other • Forms to fill out • Team announcements? • Brown/Warren debate tomorrow night

  2. Votes and Money • Unequal distribution of votes correlate directly with unequal distribution of money • Florida • Underrepresented counties $35 per person for state schools, highways, health care • Overrepresented counties $105 per person for state schools, highways, health care • Counties whose representation doubled, from 1960 to 1970 saw share of state revenues grow by 34% from 1960-1980 • Redistribution took place • “Political power is directly proportionate to a constituency’s voting strength” (p. 212)

  3. Redistricting 101 • Why do we redistrict? • How does the process work? • What are the goals of redistricting? • What should be the goals of redistricting?

  4. How does the process work?WHO: • 44 states — state legislature must pass bill that governor can either sign into law or veto • Legislature can override the veto • NC, governor does not have veto power • ME, CT require legislature adopt plan with 2/3 vote • 6 states (AZ, HI, ID, MT, NJ, WA) created redistricting commissions with 5-13 people to draw the lines

  5. Goals • Equal numbers of people in each district • Compactness and contiguity • Protect minority representation • Create partisan advantage • Protect incumbents • Keep communities of interest and subdivisions intact • Promote electoral competition

  6. Goal 1: Equal numbers • One person, one vote

  7. Goal 2: Compactness • District lines should touch • Not be spread throughout the state • BUT … no agreed upon definition of what compactness entails • Like obscenity, courts say, I know it when I see it …

  8. Goal 3: Minority Representation • How to gerrymander a district … • Crack — purposely split up a district to prevent a group from having political power • Voting Rights Act, 1965 • Eliminate dilution of African political power

  9. Other Goals • Goal 4: Create Partisan Advantage • Goal 5: Keep communities of interest intact • Goal 6: Promote electoral competition

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