1. Reapportionment & Redistricting
For the House of Representatives

2. Legislative Branch
In the Senate, every state gets represented by 2 senators regardless of population
In the House of Representatives, representation is based on population…

3. Reapportionment Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts the population
The population of each state determines the number of representatives in the House to which each state is entitled
This process is called
Reapportionment

4. Reapportionment Act of 1929
Congress approved a fixed number of representatives at 435.
At least one representative per state and that no more than one for every 300,000 persons.

5. Seats added or lost in Congressional reapportionment after 2010 census

6. Reapportionment after 2010 Census

7. After reapportionment, state legislatures set up congressional districts—one for each representative in the House
This process of setting up new district lines is called
Redistricting

8. District lines around Texas

9. The population in each congressional district must be about the same—currently around 700,000 people in each district
Districts must be compact and contiguous (shared a common border)
Whichever political party controls the state legislature controls redistricting

10. Gerrymandering Controlling parties often use this power by
--drawing district boundaries to gain an advantage in elections
The goal is to send as many representatives from your party to the House as possible.
Gerrymandering

11. Gerrymandering Video

12. “Packing”
including as many of the opponent’s voters as possible into one district
This weakens the opposing party by combining many similar votes into one voting block, opening up the other blocks for the minority party.

13. EXAMPLE of PACKING
Six districts: A, B, C, D, E, F
Two parties : X and Y
100 voters. Majority in a district wins the district. X has 60 % of the voters. Y has 40 % of the voters. -X has a majority of support in the population, but Y has the legislative majority. - Y has the power to draw the district boundaries. District Allocation: A: 26 Voters from X, 1 from Y. (X wins district A) B: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district B) C: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district C) D: 26 Voters from X, 1 from Y, (X wins district D)
E: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district E)
F: 2 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district F)
Results : TWO THIRDS of the legislative seats go to the minority party Y.

14. Example of “packing” in North Carolina

15. Example of “packing” in Illinois

16. “Cracking” dividing an opponent’s voters into many different districts
This weakens the opposing party by spreading the vote out so they can overruled by the majority party.

17. Six districts: A, B, C, D, E, F Two parties : X and Y
EXAMPLE of CRACKING
Six districts: A, B, C, D, E, F Two parties : X and Y
100 voters. Majority in a district wins the district. X has 60 % of the voters. Y has 40 % of the voters. -X has a majority of support in the population, but Y has the legislative majority. - Y has the power to draw the district boundaries. District Allocation: A; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district A) B; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district B) C; 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district C) D: 9 Voters from X, 10 from Y. (Y wins district D) E: 12 Voters from X, 0 from Y. (X wins district E)
F: 12 Voters from X, 0 from Y. (X wins district F)
Results : TWO THIRDS of the legislative seats go to the minority party Y.

18. Example of “cracking” in Ohio

19. The word gerrymander (originally written Gerry-mander) was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette on 26 March The word was created in reaction to a redrawing of Massachusetts state senate election districts under the then-governor Elbridge Gerry Party.

20. The “Gerrymander”
In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill that redistricted Massachusetts to benefit his Democratic-Republican