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Political Parties, Voting, and Interest Groups
Session 2: Redistricting as an Outcome of Elections
Materials
Instructional Activities
NOTE: The following Web resources may be helpful for information about redistricting.
FindLaw. <http://supreme.findlaw.com/Supreme_Court/resources.html>. (Supreme Court docket)
United States Supreme Court. <http://www.supremecourtus.gov/>. (United States Supreme Court site)
- Review with students the content covered to this point in the unit.
- Display the following notes on the board or overhead:
The Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States of America require reapportionment of national, state, and local legislative bodies following each census.
Redistricting is a legislative function.
Redistribution of legislative seats can significantly change the outcome of elections.
Explain that a census takes place every ten years, and describe the census process.
- Write the following definition for gerrymandering on the board. Discuss what this means.
Gerrymandering: a term that describes the deliberate rearrangement of the boundaries of congressional districts to influence the outcome of elections.
- Connect to the following Web site and, if possible, display it while the court cases on redistricting are discussed: (Review the Web sites prior to this session to guide class discussion.)
• “Wesberry v. Sanders.” <http://laws.findlaw.com/us/376/1.html>. (Information on a 1964 case involving racial gerrymandering.)
- Explain that the following United States Supreme Court cases in the early 1960s established the "one man, one vote" principle: Baker v. Carr 1962, Reynolds v. Simms 1964, Shaw v. Reno 1993, Miller v. Johnson 1995.
- Discuss Virginia’s 1999 redistricting plan that caused friction between the Republicans and the Democrats. Use the maps and information on the following Web sites to guide discussion:
• <http://www.virginiaplaces.org/government/congdist.html>. (Information on congressional districting in Virginia)
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