Name: ___________________________________________ Mod: ________

Date: _______ / ________ / 2011 U4.LP1: Reapportionment and Redistricting

Objective: Students will evaluate the population demographics of multiple states in order to explain the
process of reapportionment and redistricting.

Warm-Up
Read the following passage and answer the question
Article I of the Constitution establishes the legislative or law making branch of government with the
formation of a bicameral Congress. This system provides checks and balances within the legislative
branch.

Only after much debate did the Founding Fathers agree on the creation of the House of Representatives
and the Senate. A major issue was how representation in the legislative body would be determined.
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention from larger and more populated states argued for the Virginia
Plan that called for congressional representation should be based on a state's population. Fearing
domination, delegates from smaller states were just as adamant for equal representation and supported
the New Jersey Plan. Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut, proposed the bicameral legislature.
The Great Compromise, among other provisions, resulted in the creation of two houses, with
representation based on population in one and with equal representation in the other.
Text is taken from Ben’s Guide, found at: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/government/national/legislative.html

1. What does bicameral mean?

2. Why did states with a smaller population argue against the Virginia Plan?

3. Why did states with a larger population argue against the New Jersey Plan?

4. The result of the argument was the Great Compromise. What did it do?

Introduction to New Material

Main Points Supporting Details
Who is the  The legislative branch exists at the ____________________, state, and national levels.
legislative branch?  County – County ____________________ (PG County Council)
 State – State Legislature (Maryland General ________________________)
 National – ________________________
 The legislative branch makes laws.

What is Congress?  Congress is ________________________, or consists of two different houses: Senate

and House of Representatives.
 Senate: Each state gets _____________ representatives.
 Representation is ___________________ for all states, which protects small states.
 House of Representatives: Representation is based on population of a state.
 Representation is ___________________ ______ to the population, which protects
What is large states.
proportional  Proportional representation is the concept that a state gets representatives
representation? based on the ___________________ of people it has in it.
 Currently, a representative is given to a state for every _________,000 people in
it.
 The number of people that each state has is determined by the ____ _____________.
What is the
Census?  The Census was primarily created to determine appropriate
________________________________ in the House of Representatives.
STATE Population Reps
·       Alabama  It now
· 4,779,736   serves other purposes, such as determining federal ___________________
·       Alaska · 710,231 for  states.
·       Arizona · 6,392,017  
·       Arkansas
 The Census
· 2,915,918  
is taken once every __________ years. 2010 was the most recent time.
Steps to
·       California · 37,253,956  
determining
·       Colorado · 5,029,196  
1. Population is determined by the Census.
·       Connecticut
representation · 3,574,097  
·       Delaware 2. ___________________
· 900,877  
·       Florida 3. ___________________
· 18,801,310  
What is
·       Georgia · 9,687,653  
·       Hawaii
Reapportionment · 1,360,301  
·       Idaho  Based on population, the ___________ seats in the House of Representatives are
· 1,567,582
?·       Illinois divided
· 12,830,632   proportionally amongst the states.
·       Indiana · 6,483,802  
 If the population of your _______________________ increases a lot more than it does
·       Iowa · 3,046,355  
·       Kansas in other
· 2,853,118   states, you could gain a ______________________________________.
·       Kentucky  No matter
· 4,339,367   the population, each state receives at least __________ representative.
·       Louisiana · 4,533,372  
·       Maine
Redistricting · 1,328,361  
·       Maryland  After Reapportionment,
· 5,773,552   the state legislators _______________________ the state into
·       Massachusetts · 6,547,629  
Congressional Districts.
·       Michigan · 9,883,640  
·       Minnesota  Each
· 5,303,925 district
  has __________ representative, and includes about 710,000 people.
·       Mississippi  Districts
· 2,967,297   cannot be determined on the basis of ________________________ that could
·       Missouri · 5,988,927  
influence an election—this is called ______________________________________.
·       Montana · 989,415  
·       Nebraska · 1,826,341  
·       Nevada · 2,700,551   Guided Practice
·       New Hampshire · 1,316,470 You   have been given data from the 2010 Census.
·       New Jersey · 8,791,894    The data includes state population.
·       New Mexico · 2,059,179  
 We will begin calculating how many representatives each state has and work on the map and
·       New York · 19,378,102  
·       North Carolina · 9,535,483   legend using this information.
·       North Dakota · 672,591  
·       Ohio · 11,536,504   Independent Practice
·       Oklahoma  You · 3,751,351  
will complete the map and legend and answer questions about the map.
·       Oregon · 3,831,074  
·       Pennsylvania · 12,702,379  
·       Rhode Island · 1,052,567   HOMEWORK
B-Day You
·       South Carolinamust complete
· 4,625,364 the
  Unit 1 and 2 Review You must complete the Unit 3 Review Packet
·       South Dakota Packets by
· 814,180   Friday. by next Thursday.
·      
A-Day TennesseeYou must· 6,346,105
complete the   Unit 1 and 2 Review You must complete the Unit 3 Review Packet
·       Texas · 25,145,561
Packets by  Monday. by next Friday.
·       Utah · 2,763,885  
·       Vermont · 625,741  
·       Virginia · 8,001,024  
·       Washington · 6,724,540  
·       West Virginia · 1,852,994  
·       Wisconsin · 5,686,986  
·       Wyoming · 563,626  
 1. If Michigan's
15population
- 255 - 10decreased
2 - 5 120%
rep.since the 2010 Census, what2likely
- 5 happened
1 Rep. to the number of
1 Rep.
representatives?
2.  What process takes place after reapportionment?  
3. Why does California have the most representatives?
4. What are some of the arguments for and against adding Puerto Rico and DC in the reapportionment process?

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