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. Illinois

What is the population of the state? 12,830,632
How many Representatives do they have? 20
Choose a second state. If your first state is big, try a small state or vice versa.
Your second state. Idaho
What is the population of the state? 1,567,582
How many Representatives do they have? 4
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.
It’s obvious that Illinois have much more population than Idaho. And about the representatives, I think
that is logic that the most populated state have more representatives because there more people.

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.
Because the number of habitants In each state has a significative difference making necessary more
representatives in Illinois than in Idaho. That’s how representatives work in the senate.

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?

Occurs following each decennial census, its based in the number of population that lives in a state.
The habitants of the state are counted, depending of the number of habitants, after that, the number
of seats of that state is counted.
If the last census was taken in 2020, when will the next census occur?
In 2030
What may happen if a state's population increases? What may happen if it decreases?
If it increase, the state would have more seats, if it decrease, the state have less seats.

Section 3
Answer in 1-2 complete sentences.

Why is the apportionment process important?

Because is the process where the representatives of the senate in each state are elected, and the
state is a that’s a very important role in the US community.
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?

A select group of state legislators
What happens if legislators can’t agree on the new lines?
The responsibility of creating new lines, passes to the courts or a backup commission.

Section 5
Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.

Explain 2 ways that officials can gerrymander a district.

One way is using the method of “Cracking” (diluting the voting power of the opposing party's
supporters across many districts): The other way is “packing” (concentrating the opposing party's
voting power in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts).
What effects do gerrymandering methods have on the opposing party?
The abuse of redistricting can punish little communities of interest by diluting their strength and
limiting their ability to select representatives.

Section 6
Answer in 1-2 complete sentences.

Should gerrymandering be allowed? Why or why not?

No, obviously just because, if a state have any kind of advantage,

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?
Because there is no law that determine precisely what is fair or unfair to a state in terms of the lines.
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.
No, that kind of problems should be resolved in the own state with his own laws and in his state
courts, there is no way to go with the Supreme Court with this kind of cases.

Section 8
Answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.

What are 2 possible solutions to gerrymandering?

1: Making a law that can control the act of gerrymandering making that way, the act of
gerrymandering illegal
2: Putting limits and conditions to avoid gerrymandering in case of need to be sure that they wouldn’t
be any kind of disadvantages in the process.
Will these solutions solve the problem? Why or why not?
I think that the first solution that I propose, will obviously solve the problem. If the justice appears in
this situation with a correct law, gerrymandering should disappear instantly.

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