Messages from Mission 1: Fundamentals
- Population Equality - Each election district must have the same number of constituents. In The Redistricting Game, this number ranges between 640,000 - 650,000 people, approximating the size of current U.S. congressional districts. ...
- Contiguity - Each district must be one continuous shape. ...
- Compactness - Generally speaking, districts need to be drawn in compact shapes. ...
Full Answer
What is redistricting and why does it matter to me?
The 2020 Census asks questions that collect information necessary for redistricting. Redistricting is the redrawing of boundaries for the areas that are used to determine where people elect their representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislature, county or city council, school board, and so forth.
How often does redistricting must it be done?
Redistricting must be done every 10 years in the year ending in one. Prior to the 1960s, many states did not redraw their election district boundaries on a regular basis despite the occurrence of shifts in population, which often led to districts with wide variations in population numbers.
Why do States redistrict?
Why Do Redistricting? Redistricting is the redrawing of legislative districts. By federal law, redistricting must occur following a census for two reasons. First, new districts must be drawn when a state gains or loses congressional districts as a result of the apportionment of congressional districts to the states.
Does redistricting make a difference?
redistricting make a difference partisan representation and electoral behavior in addition to it is not directly done, you could bow to even more on the order of this life, approximately the world. We have the funds for you this proper as with ease as easy pretentiousness to get those all.
What factors are considered in redistricting?
Redistricting criteria commonly reflect a combination of state and federal statutes, judicial interpretations, and historical practices. They may be viewed as efforts to provide fair representation for residents and prevent arbitrary or discriminatory boundaries.
What are the 3 types of gerrymandering?
Typical gerrymandering cases in the United States take the form of partisan gerrymandering, which is aimed at favoring one political party while weakening another; bipartisan gerrymandering, which is aimed at protecting incumbents by multiple political parties; and racial gerrymandering, which is aimed at weakening the ...
What is the population rule for redistricting quizlet?
Under this principle each district within a jurisdiction should have the same or substantially the same population. This definition in fact suggests a right to districts with equal number of constituents rather than a right to districts with an equal number of voters.
What are the two ways districts can be gerrymandered?
The manipulation may consist of "cracking" (diluting the voting power of the opposing party's supporters across many districts) or "packing" (concentrating the opposing party's voting power in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts).
What is gerrymandering in simple words?
Gerrymandering is when a political group tries to change a voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them.
What is a synonym for gerrymandering?
What is another word for gerrymandering?pettifoggerydishonestycrookednesstrickerydissimulationdissemblingfoxinesschicaneryfraudulencetreachery158 more rows
What is redistricting and when must it be done quizlet?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing district boundaries when a state has more representatives than districts. Redistricting occurs every ten years, with the national census. manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
Why does redistricting have to happen every 10 years quizlet?
The Constitution directs the Congress to reapportion the House after each decennial census. What does that mean? It means that every 10 years, states could either gain/lose representatives based on their population compared to other states.
Which of the following is the best definition of redistricting quizlet?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives.
What are the two types of gerrymandering quizlet?
Terms in this set (3)Cracking. spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections. ... Packing. combining like minded voters into one district to prevent them from affecting elections in other districts. ... Stacked vote.
What is wasted vote gerrymandering?
Wasted votes are the basis of the efficiency gap measure of gerrymandering, where voters are grouped into electoral districts in such a way as to increase the wasted votes of one political faction and decrease the wasted votes of the other.
What is redistricting criteria?
When redistricting, state legislatures or redistricting commissions are provided certain criteria with which to draw the lines. These criteria are intended to make the districts easy to identify and understand, and to ensure fairness and consistency.
How often is redistricting done?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing state legislative and congressional district boundaries every 10 years by state legislatures following the decennial U.S. Census. NCSL helps prepare legislatures and others for the redistricting cycle with comprehensive information on redistricting law, technology and process.
What amendment requires districts to be substantially equal?
For state legislative districts, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14 th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that districts be substantially equal. Some say that 10 percent deviation in population from one district to the next is a safe standard.
What is proportionality in politics?
Proportionality: The statewide proportion of districts whose voters, based on statewide state and federal partisan general election results during the last ten years, favor each political party shall correspond closely to the statewide preferences of the voters.
What is competitive district?
Competitiveness: Districts having relatively even partisan balance, making competition between the two major parties more intense. This criterion typically seeks to avoid the creation of “safe” districts for a particular party. For instance, the Arizona constitution (cited below) states that “to the extent practicable, competitive districts should be favored where to do so would create no significant detriment to the other goals.”
What is the term for avoiding districts that would create contests between incumbents?
Avoiding pairing incumbents: This refers to avoiding districts that would create contests between incumbents.
When is the NCSL redistricting seminar?
NCSL’s final redistricting seminar is July 14-16 in Salt Lake City, Utah! This seminar will prepare you for this once-a-decade task. Register Now. All states must comply with the federal constitutional requirements related to population and anti-discrimination.
What is the term used when minority voters are compressed into a small number of districts when they could effectively control more?
Packing is the term used when minority voters are compressed into a small number of districts when they could effectively control more. An example of packing is when mapmakers draw one district that is over 90% of a single minority group (BLUE), when they could draw at least two districts with 50% single minority group.
What is the Voting Rights Act?
Passed at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) prevents the systemic and widespread voter discrimination experienced by people of color. In recent years, the Voting Rights Act has been used to block voter suppression laws, such as demands for voter identification, voter registration purges, and making voter
Why is it important to understand the voting rights act?
Understanding the protections available under the Voting Rights Act can help keep your community together and gain greater political access. Providing community stories and examples of historical discrimination is an important way community members can provide evidence to support a Voting Rights Act district being drawn.
How often do congressional maps need to be redrawn?
The U.S. Constitution requires that legislative and congressional districts get redrawn at least once every 10 years using new census data to guarantee equal representation, and the states are in charge.
What is the role of the Supreme Court in redistricting?
Federal Action. While redistricting is a state function, the Supreme Court plays an outsized role in the process, taking on redistricting cases frequently— almost every session. Many cases are based on interpretation of these criteria.
Why draw district lines in Arizona?
Encouraging competitiveness. Some states, such as Arizona, require that district lines be drawn in a way that increases interparty competitiveness: “to the extent practicable, competitive districts should be favored where to do so would create no significant detriment to the other goals.” By requiring competitiveness, advocates hope to prevent the creation of too many “safe districts,” or districts that lack interparty competition due to a party’s dominance among the electorate. Critics of this approach claim that drawing districts with a goal of competitiveness leads to maps that violate compactness and other traditional criteria.
What are the traditional districting principles?
Courts have identified six “traditional districting principles” that are common to many states. These include two that are based on geography: Compactness (a measure of a district’s geometric shape) Contiguity (all parts of the district must be connected) The other traditional districting principles are:
What are state specific traditional principles?
Besides the universal principles, legislative map- makers often have additional criteria to meet, as established in the constitution, by statute or as adopted by chambers or committees. Courts have identified six “traditional districting principles” that are common to many states.
What is the universally applicable criteria for a person to vote?
Perhaps the most important of these is “one person, one vote,” which means all people in the United States must be equally represented in legislative bodies; i.e., legislators in the same body must represent roughly the same number of people.
What is not drawing districts to favor or disfavor political parties or incumbents?
Not drawing districts to favor or disfavor political parties or incumbents. This focuses on the intent behind how lines are drawn. This criterion does not prohibit the use of political data, but such data may not be used with the intention of favoring or disfavoring a political party or incumbent.
What is the Voting Rights Act?
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is a nationwide prohibition against voting practices and procedures, (including redistricting plans) that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a language minority group. It prohibits not only election-related practices and procedures that are intended to be racially discriminatory, but also those that are shown to have a racially discriminatory result. The United States and private parties may file a lawsuit against a redistricting plan alleging that it violates Section 2.
What is the Civil Rights Division?
The Civil Rights Division has the responsibility for enforcement of provisions of the Voting Rights Act that seek to ensure that redistricting plans do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership in a protected language minority group.
Can a redistricting plan be used by a covered jurisdiction?
Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, a change affecting voting, such as a redistricting plan, may not be used by a covered jurisdiction unless that jurisdiction can show that the change has neither a discriminatory purpose nor will have a discriminatory effect. This can be done in one of two ways.
Can you review statewide redistricting plans?
You can review the Status of Statewide Redistricting Plans.
Can you sue for a redistricting plan?
It prohibits not only election-related practices and procedures that are intended to be racially discriminatory, but also those that are shown to have a racially discriminatory result. The United States and private parties may file a lawsuit against a redistricting plan alleging that it violates Section 2.