NICOLAS GRACIA
For this activity, click here. You can also access the site by pasting this URL into a new tab.
https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives
Section 1
Choose one of the 50 states. New York
What is the population of the state? 19,570,261
How many Representatives do they have? 27
Choose a second state. If your first state is big, try a small state or vice versa.
Your second state. Hawaii
What is the population of the state? 1,360,301
How many Representatives do they have? 2
What difference do you notice in population size and the number of representatives this state has?
Answer in 1-2 complete sentences and be sure to name both states in your analysis.
Whereas in New York the population is near 20 M of people, they hay 27 actives representatives, but
in Hawaii, the population is near 1,5M and they only have 2 representatives, so the number of
representatives depends on the population of an state.
Why do different states have different numbers of Representatives? Compare this with what you
know about the Senate, which has 2 senators for each state? Answer in 1-2 complete sentences.
As mentioned before, representatives depends on the population, but this don’t apply to the senate,
on which they are 2 senators per states which are voted once each 6 years, so both of the states have
only 2 senators (50 states x 2 senators = 100 senators (That is the total actual number of them))
Section 2
Now, go to this site. You also may paste this URL into a new tab:
http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Reapportionment-and-Redistricting-Fact-
Sheet.pdf
Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.
How does reapportionment happen?
Each 10 years, the population of a state need to be counted. If it has been increased, the number of
places for representatives will be increased to, but if not, vice-versa. The more seats representatives
have, the more votes a state can make.
If the last census was taken in 2020, when will the next census occur?
2030 (10 years between one census and the next one)
What may happen if a state's population increases? What may happen if it decreases?
As mentioned, if it has increased, the state will be given more seats for representatives by the federal
government, but if not (If it decreases), then seats for representatives will be removed, letting to that
states to have less votes on the representatives chamber.
Section 3
Answer in 1-2 complete sentences.
Why is the apportionment process important?
Without the apportionment, some people's votes would be stronger unfairly, so the process is used to
make those votes fair.
Section 4
Now, go to this site. You also may paste this URL into a new tab:
http://content.newsbound.com/public/redistrict/redistrict_us/ Read slides 10-17 to answer these
questions. Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.
Who redraws the lines?
The people in charged of this are a selected group of state legislators from all the states but 13 of
them.
What happens if legislators can’t agree on the new lines?
If this happens, the responsibility of deciding these lines change to the court or to a backup
commission.
Section 5
Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.
Explain 2 ways that officials can gerrymander a district.
The two principal forms that are used in gerrymandering are "cracking", which means that a party
dilute the voting power of other in order to have advantage, or “packing”, which means that one
party concentrates the political power of other party into a state in order to reduce the votes.
What effects do gerrymandering methods have on the opposing party?
It provoke that them votes are less and without much power, giving an unfair advantage to the party
which provoke it.
Section 6
Answer in 1-2 complete sentences.
I
Should gerrymandering be allowed? Why or why not?
NO, It shouldn’t be permitted because it is not democratic. A president need to be chosen because of
many people voting it, but with this process, an advantage is granted to one party and it won’t be
democratic and fair.
Section 7
Go to this site to see the answers to a few frequently asked questions about gerrymandering. You may
also paste this URL into a new tab: https://apnews.com/54499d87807a4460a2c5ef4fb08d8c36. Answer
each question in 1-2 complete sentences.
Scroll down to the question "Is political gerrymandering illegal?" (It's question #6.) Read this section
and answer this question: Why isn't it illegal?
It is not illegal because on the US constitution it’s cited that “federal courts have no authority to
decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far.”
Then scroll down two more questions to, "Does this spell the end of all partisan gerrymandering
lawsuits?" Read this section and answer this question: Can someone still sue if they think their state's
map has been drawn unfairly? Explain.
This questions refers to the own state constitution, because anyone can sue to gerrymandering, but
the in charged court to take action actually is the state one, so if they don’t do nothing, people cannot
sue to a higher organ.
Section 8
Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.
What are 2 possible solutions to gerrymandering?
One of them, I think that can be to modify the constitution, and the other one is to make a law on
which it penalize this act.
Will these solutions solve the problem? Why or why not?
Maybe changing the constitution is a little (Very) complicated, but if law is modified for penalizing
this, I think that this process will be much reduced.
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