SENATEHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSENATE:HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:APPORTIONMENTWHAT DOES EQUAL MEAN? REPRESENTATION STYLEEQUAL REPRSENTATIONREPRSENTATION STYLESCONGRESSSENATE- 6 year terms- 100 senators- 2 per stateHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES- 2 year terms- 435 Representatives- Apportioned between the states based on population- Each member represents more than 500,000 people - Meant to evolve more quickly based on the sentiments of the publicCONGRESS QUALIFICATIONSSENATE:- US Citizen for 9 years- Legal Resident of the State- 30 Years oldHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:- Us Citizen for 7 years- Legal Resident of the State- 25 years oldSENATE SEATS - 2 SENATORS FROM EACH STATE- EACH SENATOR IS ELECTED STATE-WIDE AND REPRESENTS THE WHOLE STATE- THE 2 SENATORS ARE NEVER UP FOR ELECTION AT THE SAME TIME- THERE ARE CURRENTLY 100 SENATORSo 1ST CONGRESS – 24o 1800 – 32o 1900 – 90 o 1959-100 (HAWAII BECAME A STATE)HOUSE SEATS - CURRENTLY 435 SEATS (TEXAS HAS 32)- NOT DEIFIED BY CONSTITUTION- EACH STATE ENTITLED TO AT LEAST ONE REP- THE CONGRESS HAD 65 REPRESENTATIVES- SINCE 1929, THE NUMBER HAS BEEN CAPPED AT 435APPORTIONMENT- After each 10 year census, Congress divides the 435 seats between the states based upon their relative population- State legislatures determine the single member geographical districts that each representative will represent- Each district must have:o EQUAL REPRESENTATIONo CONTIGUOUS BOUNDARIESo GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT AREAo BUT COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS BOUNDARIES ARE NOT ALWAYS THE CASE WHAT DOES EQUAL MEAN? REPRESENTATION STYLE- MALAPPORTIONMENTo WHEN THE RELATIVE VOTING POWER OF CITIZENS IN ONE DISTRICT BECOMES GREQATER THAN THE VOTING POWER OF CITIZENS IN ANOTHER DISTRICT IN THE 1960S FOR EXAMPLE, 33% OF THE TEXAS POPULATION COULD ELECT A MAJORITY OF THE STATE HOUSE AND SENATE- GERRYMANDERINGo Drawing district lines to gain partisan advantage EQUAL REPRSENTATION- The Supreme Court has established the one person – one – vote rule requiring districts of equal populationo BAKER V. CARR (1962) CAN WE HEAR THIS?o REYNOLDS V. SIMS (1964) ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE CONGRESSIONAL/FEDERAL ELECTIONSo WESTBERRY V. SANDERS DEALS WITH STATE LEGISLATURE IS IT EQUAL REPRESENTATION, IF EACH DISTRICT HAS DIFFERENT POPULATIONS? COURT SAYS POPULATIONS MUST BE EQUAL OR AT LEAST SIMILAR- In the 1990s, the DOJ directed states to draw congressional boundaries in order to maximize minority voting power – these are “Minority-Majority” districts. Is this legal?REPRSENTATION STYLES- TRUSTEE o DOES WHAT IS BEST FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY (SENATE)- INSTRUCTED DELEGATEo DOES ONLY WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE CONSTITUENTS (HOUSE MEMBERS)- PARTISAN o VOTES STRICTLY UPON PARTY LINES- POLITICO (MAVERICK)o A COMBINATION OF ALL
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