Essay 13: reapportionment and redistricting

     Congressional reapportionment and redistricting are conducted every ten years. When redistricting is conducted, politicians often engage in gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is defined as, 'manipulating the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.'

     Congressional reapportionment is the reallocation of the number of representatives each state has in the House of Representatives. The is important for the states because it can affect the representation and influence a state receives. Congressional redistricting is the process of redrawing district boundaries when a state has more representatives than districts.  It is done through either the cracking or packing method. This, and reapportionment, occur every ten years because they must re-balance representation and electoral votes to the states after a new census has been taken.

     Politicians have many goals when gerrymandering during a redistricting. One goal is to either increase or decrease minority representation, depending on the needs of the group at the time. Another goal is to protect incumbents and to keep challengers from gaining the incumbents spots in Congress. When redistricting takes place, the Supreme Court has limits it has to stay between which include equally dividing populations and protecting communities of interest. Populations must stay equal because it keeps elections fair with large enough populations to keep representation fair. Communities of interest must be protected in order to keep interest groups and other linkage institutions content with policymaking.

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_us_gopo_q1.pdf

2008-1) Congressional reapportionment and redistricting are conducted every ten years. When redistricting is conducted, politicians often engage in gerrymandering.
(a) Define congressional reapportionment and explain one reason why it is important to states.
(b) Define congressional redistricting.
(c) Explain two goals of politicians when they gerrymander during redistricting.
(d) Describe two limits that the United State Supreme Court has placed on congressional redistricting.