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Congressional Redistricting

Congressional Redistricting. "We are in the business of rigging elections.” Former State Senator Mark McDaniel. Step 1: Reapportionment. There are 435 members in the House of Representatives.

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Congressional Redistricting

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  1. Congressional Redistricting "We are in the business of rigging elections.” Former State Senator Mark McDaniel

  2. Step 1: Reapportionment • There are 435 members in the House of Representatives. • After each census, the number of representatives are distributed among the states based on population.

  3. Step 2: Redistricting • State legislatures then draw up the congressional districts for their state, • One district for each representative. • After the 2000 census, CA was apportioned 53 seats in the House of Reps. Therefore there are 53 congressional districts in CA. • MAP

  4. Principles of Redistricting • Equal Population - Each district must contain roughly the same number of people (approx. 650,000 per district) • One Person, One Vote • Contiguity - Each district should be one continuous shape. • No "land islands" are allowed. • Compactness - Generally, districts should be drawn in compact shapes. • Extremely jagged edges and skinny extensions are hallmarks of gerrymandered districts.

  5. What is Gerrymandering? • Gerrymandering: Manipulating electoral boundaries to give one group an advantage over another. • Named after Governor of MA, Elbridge Gerry • How It Happens

  6. Types of Gerrymandering • Partisan Gerrymander: When the majority party draws the district lines to maximize the power of their own party. • Sweetheart Gerrymander: When the people in charge of redistricting draw district lines to ensure that incumbents of both parties win reelection. • Racial Gerrymander: The drawing of districts to either minimize or maximize the power of minority voters

  7. Gerrymandering Techniques • Cracking - Spreading like-minded voters apart across multiple districts to dilute their voting power in each. • This denies the group representation in multiple districts. • Packing - Concentrating like-minded voters together in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts. • This gives the group representation in a single district while denying them representation across districts.

  8. Gerrymandering in CA

  9. Gerrymandering in NY

  10. Gerrymandering in TX

  11. Gerrymandering in Ohio

  12. The Effects of Gerrymandering • "Here is a telling statistic: 153 of California's congressional and legislative seats were up in the last election and not one changed parties. What kind of democracy is that?” • Governor Arnold Schwargenegger, 2005 State of the State Address • "It used to be that the idea was, once every two years voters elected their representatives, and now, instead, it's every ten years the representatives choose their constituents.” • Pamela Karlan, Professor of Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School

  13. Think About It!!! • What effect does gerrymandering have on the democratic process? • Can we really claim to be a democracy when this is allowed to happen? • How can this abuse of power be prevented? What can be done?

  14. Visit: • www.redistrictinggame.org • Play the Redistricting Game • Accomplish your mission and print out evidence

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