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In the United States, redistricting is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries.[1] For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census.[2]
The U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 provides for apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on the population of each state. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 required that the number of seats in the chamber be kept at a constant 435, and a 1941 act made the reapportionment among the states by population automatic after every decennial census.[3] Reapportionment occurs at the federal level followed by redistricting at the state level. According to Colegrove v. Green, 328 U.S. 549 (1946), Article I, Section 4 left to the legislature of each state the authority to establish congressional districts;[4] however, such decisions are subject to judicial review.[2][5] In most states redistricting is subject to political maneuvering, but some states have created independent commissions.[6]
The Uniform Congressional District Act (enacted in 1967) requires that representatives be elected from single-member districts. When a state has a single representative, that district will be state-wide.[7]
Gerrymandering in the redistricting process has been a problem since the early days of the republic.[8] In recent years, critics have argued that redistricting has been used to neutralize minority voting power.[9] Supporters say it enhances electoral competitiveness.[10]
- ^ "Boundary Delimitation Glossary". ACE: The Electoral Knowledge Network. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ a b Goldman, Ari L. (21 November 1986). "One man, one vote: Decades of court decisions". The New York Times.
- ^ "Apportionment Legislation 1890 – Present". U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010.
- ^ "Proportional Representation". Washington, D.C.: Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ Warren, Earl. "Reynolds v. Sims". Justia. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Who draws the lines?". All About Redistricting. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ 2 U.S.C. § 2c
- ^ Griffith, Elmer (1907). The Rise and Development of the Gerrymander. Chicago: Scott Foresman. OCLC 45790508.
- ^ "Gerrymandering could limit minority voters' power even though Census shows population gains". CNBC. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Why should we care?". All About Redistricting. Retrieved 4 December 2022.