Ap Human Geo 4.6-4.7

Census

• Done every 10 years, mandated by the Constitution. 

• Official population count but also includes data on age, race, sex.

What is it used for?

1. Determine federal and state funding for planning and providing services and building/maintaining infrastructure. 

   1. Schools, roads, waste management, hospitals, libraries, public transportation.

Reapportionment

Process in which U.S. House of Representative seats are re-allocated to different states, based off of population change. 

Electoral College

Organization that utilizes the popular vote to then vote for President. Loss of congressional seat = loss of Electoral College seat.

538

435 US Representatives

100 Senators 

3 Representing Washington, D.C.

Redistricting:

State’s internal political boundaries that determine voting districts for the US House of Representatives and the state legislature. Redrawn to accurately reflect the new census data.  

Voting District

•  geographic term used by state and local governments to organize elections. 

• Drawn by state legislatures. 

• Requirements for Voting Districts

• Similar population size

• Contiguous- a single, unbroken shape

• Compact- smooth rather than contorted boundaries and should cluster around a central core, rather than dispersing outwards. 

Gerrymandering

 Redistricting for a political advantage, when the political party that controls a majority of seats in the state legislature draws political district boundaries to maintain or extend their political power. 

Packing:

Clustering like-minded voters in a single district, thereby allowing the other party to win the remaining districts

Cracking:

•  Dispersing like-minded voters among multiple districts in order to minimize their impact and prevent them from gaining a majority.

Representative Districts

The ideal, in which the voting districts are equal in population, contiguous, and compact. They are truly representative of the people living in the district.

FEDERAL

A style of government in which power is shared between central, regional, and local governments. 

Regional and local governments have autonomy and authority to administer their spaces in order to account for needs of diverse groups.

UNITARY

A style of government in which the power is located centrally and the purpose of regional or local units is to carry out policy. 

Regional and local political units exist, but often do not act independently to MAKE laws or policy. The units are an extension of the central government. 

Spatial organization - FEDERAL

• Power is diffused to state and local governments on multiple levels.  

• Multinational & geographically large -> local power helps balance the needs of a diverse population. 

• Substate -> County -> City/Local

Spatial organization - UNITARY

• Very little political power outside of the central government. Limited diffusion of power. 

• States are more likely geographically compact with less cultural differences and minority groups. (*generally) 

Positives - FEDERAL

• Reduction of conflict around specific issues because each substate can legislate differently. 

  • Death penalty or legalization of marijuana 

• Local issues resolved more quickly by regional/local governments. 

Positives - UNITARY

• Efficiency in the creation and implementation of laws. 

  • All from one central authority. 

• Change happens quickly - only has to go through the central government. 

• Sense of unity. 

Negatives - FEDERAL

• Slow to enact change. 

  • Amending the Constitution - 3/4 of states needed to ratify. That means 38 states have to agree! 

• Conflicts between national, state, and local level governmental units can cause confusion and stall progress. 

Negatives - UNITARY

• More vulnerable to corruption or authoritarianism. 

  • May only serve the interests of the dominant group. 

• Central government may not be in touch with local issues. 

  • Slower to respond to local issues