#141 Eminent Domain

BELL RINGER

Federalism: Redistricting & Gerrymandering

Objectives

1. Slides/notes2. “Packing & Cracking”

video3. Simulation4. Closure

HW: enjoy Super Bowl Sunday

Agenda

TODAY WE WILL …

• Explain how state legislatures apportion seats in the US House of Representatives & state legislatures

• Define: gerrymandering, census and apportionment

How is power divided between our national and state governments? (use the vocabulary words: Federalism, Expressed, Implied, Reserved, Concurrent)

LET’S REVIEW

Enacting lawsLevying taxesCreating budgets

What is the Virginia state legislature called?

STATE LEGISLATURES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR …

APPORTIONMENT, REDISTRICTING &

GERRYMANDERING

The Constitution requires that districts be reapportioned following each census.There are 435 seats (fixed number) in the House.

How should these seats be allocated based on changing populations?

Done every 10 years based on census data.

APPORTIONMENT

APPORTIONMENT

Redistricting is the redrawing of boundaries of legislative districts.

THEN STATES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REDISTRICTING

Each seat in the US House of Representatives represents one congressional district

WHAT IS A DISTRICT?

Explain redistricting in your own words.Why would political parties care about how

many seats they will have in the House of Representatives?

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

Gerrymandering = the drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group.

GERRYMANDERING

Two forms of gerrymandering1. To concentrate the opposition voters in

few districts2. To spread the opposition as thinly as

possible among several districtsGoal is to create as many “safe” districts as

possible

TWO STRATEGIES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh4qAJDUOcc

1. When you get your map, write your name and party at the top.

2. Review the map key with your partner.3. You are part of the redistricting committee. Divide

your state into 10 equal districts with 100,000 people in each.

You need 10 circles in each district.4. In pencil, draw the district lines in such a way so that

your political party has a good chance to win a majority of seats in the next election. Hint – you need at least 6 circles for a majority. Try to put the other party’s voters together in as few as districts as

possible to “waste” those votes.

5. Number each district 1-10 and circle the number of districts that favor your party.

GERRYMANDERING ACTIVITY

Meet with all the other legislators for your state.6.Find another small group of your same party and state. Compare how you redistricted.

Answer all the questions on your worksheet and turn it in at the end of the block.

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TICKET OUT THE DOOR

#60 Representation in the House of Representatives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucm9ehYe4NM