Congressional Representation and Redistricting Notes

District Representation

  • Each member of Congress represents a specific geographical area.

    • Senators represent entire states (2 per state).

    • Congressional districts are subdivisions of states, with approx. equal populations.

    • Each district is represented by one member of the House of Representatives.

  • Constituents & Population Representation:

    • House: Each member represents similar population sizes.

    • Senate: Representation varies significantly among states.

    • Example: Wyoming (500,000 people) has the same Senate representation as California (population ~38 million).

Gerrymandering

  • State legislatures can redraw district lines to benefit the controlling party.

  • Definition:

    • Gerrymandering: Extreme partisan redistricting.

    • Origin: Named after Elbridge Gerry, whose district looked like a "gerrymander" (a creature with claws and wings).

  • Supreme Court Involvement:

    • Established standards to limit gerrymandering.

    • Baker v. Carr (1962): Courts can resolve redistricting disputes involving the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

    • Wesberry v. Sanders (1964): Districts must have roughly equal populations.

    • Racial representation: Districts must ensure minority representation.

    • Holding: Racial gerrymandering violates the 14th Amendment (1993).

Effects of Redistricting and Gerrymandering

  • Increased occurrence of partisan gerrymandering in recent years:

    • Influences representation and government policy.

    • Guarantees dominance of the controlling party in Congress

    • Forms polarization among voters:

    • Strong negative feelings toward the opposing party.

    • Representatives from gerrymandered districts exhibit fierce loyalty to their parties, hindering bipartisan cooperation on national issues.

Apportionment

  • Definition: Distribution of House seats among states based on population.

  • After every census, House seats are reapportioned:

    • e.g., California has 53 members in the House, whereas smaller states have only one representative.

  • At-large representatives: Elected by the entire state population when not apportioned into districts.

Redistricting

  • Process of redrawing district lines to ensure equal population in districts:

    • Conducted after each census.

Membership Requirements

  • Membership criteria differ for House and Senate as per the U.S. Constitution:

    • House of Representatives:

    • Minimum age: 25 years.

    • Must be a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years.

    • Senate:

    • Minimum age: 30 years.

    • Must be a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years.

  • Historical context: Property requirements previously existed for holding office.

  • Current eligibility:

    • Women and nonwhites have been eligible since gaining the right to vote (1920 for women, 1868 for nonwhites).