Gerrymandering and Redistricting

What is the purpose of the US census in relation to Congressional districts?

• To determine the number of Representatives each state gets in the House

• To redraw state boundaries

• To elect the President

• To set tax rates

The Congressional Act of 1929 froze the total number of Representatives in the House at _____

• 435

• 400

• 500

• 350

After the census, who signs off on the new districts?

• The President

• The governor

• The Supreme Court

• The Speaker of the House

Gerrymandering is:

• The process of drawing electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party

• A method of voting in elections

• A type of government corruption involving bribery

• A system for counting votes in an election

Gerrymandering helps the party in power to gain seats in the House of Representatives.

• True

• False

What are the two main ways gerrymandering is done?

• Packing and Cracking

• Voting and Counting

• Drawing and Erasing

• Adding and Subtracting

Packing is putting as many members of one party into one district to limit the amount of seats they win.

• True

• False

Cracking is splitting voters of the opposing party into two different districts.

• True

• False

Supreme Court Cases on Gerrymandering: Which case enabled federal courts to intervene in and to decide redistricting cases?

• Baker V. Carr

• Wesberry V. Sanders

• Shaw V. Reno

• Marbury v. Madison

Outline the districts (squares) so that there are 5 sets of 10 squares but each gets a very different result. How many total squares are there?

• 40

• 50

• 60

• 100