1. The Role of Congress
Accountability to the people and the representation of those who elected them

2. Constitutional Power John Locke’s philosophy Article I, Section 8
The legislature is the most powerful branch
It needs limits
Article I, Section 8
Article I, Section 9
Bill of Rights

3. Limitations Enumerated Powers Implied Powers Enforcement power
Article I, Section 8
Implied Powers
Necessary and proper clause
McCulloch v Maryland
Enforcement power
Civil rights Act 1964
Inherent Powers
Congress power to investigate

4. Representation Article I, Section 2 Wesberry v. Sanders Gerrymandering
Districts lines
Wesberry v. Sanders
“one person, one vote”
Each district must be mathematically equal to other districts
Gerrymandering
Drawing district lines to achieve favorable political results for one political party

5. Gerrymandering Printed in 1812.
Illustrates the electoral districts drawn by the Massachusetts legislature to favor the incumbent Democratic-Republican party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists. The cartoon depicts the bizarre shape of a district in Essex County Massachusetts as a dragon.

6. used to help or hinder particular constituents
The term gerrymandering is derived from Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), the governor of Massachusetts from 1810 to 1812.
used to help or hinder particular constituents
Used to help or hinder political parties
Used to increase or decrease minority representation
Strategies used:
Packing
To concentrate as many voters of one type into a single electoral district to reduce their influence in other districts.
Cracking
involves spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in order to deny them a sufficiently large voting block in any particular district.

7. Cracking/ Breaking the Minority
Packing the Minority
Cracking/ Breaking the Majority

8. What the Supreme Court has to say…
There has to be restrictions to redistricting
Equal population in districts
Lines must be contiguous or connected
Districts cannot reduce minority voting strength
District lines cannot be drawn solely based upon race
Districts must be compact