Once apportionment and reapportionment have allocated the number of seats to each state, redistricting comes into play. Redistricting refers to the process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional districts within a state. The objective of redistricting is to ensure that each district contains roughly the same number of residents, as mandated by the principle of “one person, one vote.” Redistricting seeks to provide fair representation to all citizens and accommodate shifting population patterns.

Question

Baker v. Carr (1962)

In Baker v. Carr, in 1962, the Court ruled that the judicial branch of government can rule on matters of legislative apportionment. It established the principle of “one person, one vote” and ordered state legislative districts to be as equal in population as possible. The Court held that unfair, unequal distribution of state legislative seats violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.



Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

Because rural areas dominated many state legislatures (and since state legislatures draw the district lines), congressional districts for the U.S. House often favored less-populous rural areas of a state. Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) set forth the principle of “one person, one vote” in drawing congressional districts, thus extending further the ruling in Baker v. Carr. The case triggered widespread redistricting that gave cities and suburbs greater representation in Congress.
What was the significance of the Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) decision?
A)It required that congressional districts for the U.S. House be drawn to reflect the principle of "one person, one vote."
B)It limited the judicial branch from ruling on matters related to legislative apportionment.
C)It ensured that rural areas received more representation in Congress.
D)It mandated that state legislative districts must have the same number of residents.

Answer 1

The significance of the Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) decision is A) It required that congressional districts for the U.S. House be drawn to reflect the principle of "one person, one vote." This ruling aimed to ensure fair representation by mandating that districts have roughly equal populations, thereby addressing the previous biases favoring less-populous rural areas over more populous urban areas.