...Gerrymandering is the practice of redrawing congressional district lines so that one political party has an advantage over the other. In most states the state legislature has control over redrawing district lines, thus the majority party has control of congressional districts. The party in control of the state legislature will redraw district boundaries to give them more seats in Congress. The U.S. Constitution calls for a national census to be taken every ten years for reapportionment purposes (which is determining how many representatives each state gets based on its population at that time). This means that the federal redistricting process takes place the year after each census is taken. For example, the last national census was in 2010, and the redistricting process started to take place in 2011....
Words: 629 - Pages: 3
...have stated that is pernicious to our voting system. Other stakeholders include, “The Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Republican State Leadership Committee. They urged the Supreme Court to reject a challenge to State Assembly districts in Wisconsin.”1 State legislators, also have proposals to solve gerrymandering using independent commissions specifically in the state governments. “The most common proposal is using independent or non-partisan commissions for re-redistricting, which is done in several states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Nevertheless, many opponents say it is difficult to find “non-partisan” committee members.”5 Colorado proposed, “The League of Women Voters, who plans to run two ballot initiatives that would create an independent commission to draw Colorado’s congressional and state legislative lines in an effort to end the partisan battle over redistricting.”6 Another is advocacy groups like Fair Vote and the Brennan Center for Justice. Some...
Words: 746 - Pages: 3
...favor your opponents into a few throwaway districts where the other side will win crooked victories. Through artful drawing of district boundaries, it is potential to put large groups of electors on the losing side of every election. The procedure for making a congressional district map starts out with the Census population data, information collected by the legislatures, because of the State’s population changes that will take place. Redistricting is a process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative...
Words: 775 - Pages: 4
...In 1960, in Gomillion v. Lightfoot, the Supreme Court upheld the notion that gerrymandering was utilized to racially discriminate in voting, which violated the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution. Later in 1962, in Baker v. Carr, and in 1964, in Reynolds v. Sims, the Supreme Court established the provision that voting districts must contain essentially equal population. Five years following the historic decision in Gomillion v. Lightfoot, President Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Congress affirmed the cases primary principle by passing the momentous Voting Rights Act of 1965. These three primary concepts made by policymakers laid the foundation for “order” in redistricting. Likewise, in 1986, in Davis v. Bandemer, the Supreme Court found that partisan-based redistricting posited a constitutional query and was justiciable. Yet contrariwise, in 2004, in Vieth v. Jubelirer, the Supreme Court overruled its previously described decision. It held and now holds that partisan-based redistricting is an issue non-justiciable by the Supreme...
Words: 531 - Pages: 3
...* Controversy- etymology (word origin) From Latin: “against” (contra) and “versus” (verse) Contra = against or in comparison with Implies difference of opinion or contrast Verse = line of writing Implies opinions expressed in some type of public arena Controversy- definition A prolonged public dispute or debate. Disputation concerning a matter of opinion. “Prolonged” - matters are unsettled over time, lasting “Public” – not private, concerning people as a whole “Dispute / debate” – challenge, taking exception to “Opinion” – personal belief or judgment Synonyms of controversy- disagreement, difference ALSO- contention, strife, argument, dissonance, lack of harmony, heated conflict Controversy- Denotation v. connotation Denotation = meaning The most direct, exact, specific meaning of a work or expression Literal meaning- meaning without interpretation, embellishment, or exaggeration A dictionary definition. Subjective and “cold” Connotation = suggestion Emotional coloration Suggested or implied meaning in addition to what is explicit, objected, denoted Impression that goes beyond a defined meaning Emotional association with a word, phrase, idea Subjective and emotively “loaded” September 17 Democracy- people, common people. People’s rule. Types of democracy Direct- when all members of a community (polity, group) gather together and individuals cast a vote or make decisions=each person is given a chance to influence the policymaking process Representative-...
Words: 2003 - Pages: 9
..._ Collective dilemmas in Congress, the executive branch, the bureaucracy, and the courts, and how these collective dilemmas are overcome CONGRESS:2 main organized features: Committee System helps solve collective dilemmas. Executive branch has grown and bureaucracy. So he faces principal agent. Bureaucrats are his agents and he is the principle. _ Structure of Congress _ Qualifications for members of Congress senate- 30, citizen 9 years, live in state house- 25, citizen 7 years, live in state _ Reapportionment redistribution 435 seats in the house of reps after the census _ Drawing congressional district lines (Wesberry v. Sanders (1964), redistricting, gerrymandering, cracking, packing, racial and partisan gerrymandering, political consequences of gerrymandering) This decision requires each state to draw its U.S. Congressional districts so that they are approximately equal in population. Redistricting to favor a political party. 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. _ Individualism in Congress (including factors that contribute to it) _ Single-member districts electoral district in which a single person is reelected _ Plurality elections determining an elections winner by who ever receives the most votes...
Words: 1013 - Pages: 5
...Competing demands balance by Congressman -what I think -whats best for my constituants -whats best for the country -whats the right thing Bicameral- two houses, one more populace, one more elitist. Reapportionment- happens every 10 years after census, readjusts how many representatives. Redistricting- within a state, you redraw districts according to how many representatives you have Gerrymandering- You mess around with redistricting…the state senate redraws the districts in favor of how they want. Advantages of being an incumbent- they win 85% of the time. They have name recognition Pro’s for term limits- when politicians become professional they begin to lose touch with the people and become corrupt… Con- when you have a really good one, they are limited to what they can do Who presides over the Senate? Vice President Powers of the Speaker of the House- Call on people to speak, assign bills to committees, set time limits for debates. Nancy Pelosi- Speaker of the House, from San Francisco, California. Pro tempore- has to do with the fact that the vice president never shows up to the senate, the senior member of the major party is the leader of the senate Majority leader- the person who sets the agenda for the party Whip- the one who counts the votes and makes sure it gets done…twists peoples arms to get them to vote their way. Filibuster- somebody talks as long as they want Cloture- two thirds majority vote in the senate, you can...
Words: 780 - Pages: 4
...Congress is split up in to two parts: The Senate and The House of Representatives. Each branch works alongside each other but they are different and have different requirements to be a member. To be a member of the House you have to be at least 25 years only, a citizen for 7 years and can only serve in 2 year terms. To be a member of the senate, you need to be at least 30 years old, a citizen for 9 years and can only serve in 6 year terms. There are always 100 members of the Senate and 435 members of the House regardless of population in the United States. The House of Representatives is responsible for local representation whereas the senate focuses more on the states as a whole. There are two different types of representatives: a trustee...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...Which if you look up the word paradox in the dictionary it reads as this: a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory. I think that explains in and of itself that gerrymandering is not and will never be a smart idea and why it can and is seamlessly hurting the United States’ democracy today. Another example of gerrymandering affecting democracy in the United States would be around the time of the 2002 elections, when Republicans quickly charge of the state house in Texas. Congressman Tom DeLay, who also serves as House Majority Leader in Washington, decided he wanted to reopen the redistricting question because “the current makeup of the congressional did not reflect the state’s true political orientation”. As time passed, according to Jeffrey Toobin, the Republican Legislative leaders “candidly admitted that they intended to draw lines to favor their party as much as possible.”...
Words: 778 - Pages: 4
...1 there are 8 sections. Article 9 talks about what Congress can and cannot do. Section 1-5 also put the requirements to run for The Senate and for the House of Representatives. The rules are in Sections 5-6. Congress's powers are explained in Sections 7-8. Article 9 talks about the powers denied to the Congress, They cannot deny the writ of habeas corpus, cannot spend money for a law to be passed, no biased opinions towards an states. Article 10 explains the power denied to states. Who’s in Charge of What? For the following titles you’re going to find out who has that position....
Words: 968 - Pages: 4
...Baker v. Carr Facts Charles Baker (P) was a resident of Shelby County, Tennessee. Baker filed suit against Joe Carr, the Secretary of State of Tennessee. Baker’s complaint alleged that the Tennessee legislature had not redrawn its legislative districts since 1901, in violation of the Tennessee State Constitution which required redistricting according to the federal census every 10 years. Baker, who lived in an urban part of the state, asserted that the demographics of the state had changed shifting a greater proportion of the population to the cities, thereby diluting his vote in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Baker sought an injunction prohibiting further elections, and sought the remedy of reapportionment or at-large elections. The district court denied relief on the grounds that the issue of redistricting posed a political question and would therefore not be heard by the court. Issues 1. Do federal courts have jurisdiction to hear a constitutional challenge to a legislative apportionment? 2. What is the test for resolving whether a case presents a political question? Holding and Rule 1. Yes. Federal courts have jurisdiction to hear a constitutional challenge to a legislative apportionment. 2. The factors to be considered by the court in determining whether a case presents a political question are: 1. Is there a textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of the issue to a coordinate political department...
Words: 1154 - Pages: 5
...* Question 1 0 out of 1 points | | | Only the Senate can impeach civil officers, who are tried by the House of Representatives.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | True | Correct Answer: | False | | | | | * Question 2 0 out of 1 points | | | How many presidents have been impeached?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Three | Correct Answer: | Two | | | | | * Question 3 0 out of 1 points | | | In recent years, Congress has expressed its unhappiness with Supreme Court decisions on abortion and gay rights byAnswer | | | | | Selected Answer: | refusing to confirm new lower federal judges until the Court reverses its decision. | Correct Answer: | attempting to alter the Court's jurisdiction. | | | | | * Question 4 0 out of 1 points | | | According to the Constitution, apportionment and redistricting must occur everyAnswer | | | | | Selected Answer: | four years. | Correct Answer: | ten years. | | | | | * Question 5 0 out of 1 points | | | Logrolling is another term for vote trading.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | False | Correct Answer: | True | | | | | * Question 6 0 out of 1 points | | | The official chair of the Senate is the _____.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Speaker | Correct Answer: | president pro tempore | | | | | * Question 7 0 out of 1 points | | | Redrawing...
Words: 6400 - Pages: 26
...In a traditional republic, citizens elect their representatives to express their views and opinions in Congress. However, modern gerrymandering has reversed this system by enabling politicians to choose their voters (Applewhite). By having a guaranteed majority, partisan politicians are able to pursue their agenda while neglecting compromise. Compromise is an essential part of a pluralistic government because it is necessary in order to satisfy the needs of all groups in a society. In his article, We Must Address Gerrymandering, Thomas E. Mann accurately sums up the principle effect of the method in which, “party members… find their own interests in re-election and majority status importantly connected to these redistricting efforts, which makes them even more inclined to cooperate with partisan team play that drains the policy making process of its capacity to negotiate and compromise” (Mann). Compromise is a vital aspect of democracy due to its reliable effect of preventing tyranny and the oppressive rule of one faction. A balanced and equal representation forces different political parties to cooperate in order to achieve their respective...
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...One power of Congress is “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.” This compliments Lee Hamilton’s statement as the power allows Congress make laws for the people as new situations arise. From this, it is agreed with Hamilton that “Congress is the most important link between the American people and their national government.” Congress takes new opinions and problems from citizens and applies them when making laws. Also, the stipulations for a member of the legislature ensures the bond between the people and the government. Members of the House have short two-year terms, while Senators have six-year terms, allowing new members to appeal modern policies to Congress to service recent...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...Sharon Hatcher October 9, 2012 POS301-Arizona and Federal Government Professor Halperin Part I: Arizona Statehood Upon the ending of the Mexican American War (1846-1848), Arizona began the journey to statehood. Arizona began applying for statehood in 1872. Arizona drafted a constitution in 1891. The Congress continually ignored the request for statehood by Arizona because of because of the lack of residents, unpromising economic prospects, they are conservative democrats and demographics. Once congress passed the Enabling Act, Arizona was forced to create a constitution and it was to be approved by Congress and the acting President, also, this act presented restrictions on the state’s management of public land; stating that the majority of the land is designated as school trust land. In 1912, Arizona was finally given statehood, it was the 48th state. Leading up to Arizona’s statehood there have been many events that have lead to the formation of this state. The following are key events in history have lead to the statehood of Arizona: the Pre-territorial period, the Spanish period, the Mexican period, U.S. Controlled period and the Territorial period. Arizona Three Branches of Government Arizona Three Branches of Government Executive Branch * Governor * Power to appoint * Removal powers (but limited) * Fiscal powers * Military powers * Lawmaking powers Legislation powers * the power to propose new legislation *...
Words: 897 - Pages: 4
