Congressional behavior and governing effectiveness are influenced by:
§ Ideological divisions within Congress that can lead to gridlock or create the need for negotiation and compromise
§ Gerrymandering, redistricting, and unequal representation of constituencies have been partially addressed by the Supreme Court decision in Baker v. Carr Links to an external site.(1962),Links to an external site. which opened the door to equal protection challenges to redistricting and started the “one person, one vote” doctrine, and the no-racial-gerrymandering decision in Shaw v. Reno (1993)Links to an external site..
The concept of “one person, one vote” was established as a justiciable issue in Baker v. Carr Links to an external site.(1962),Links to an external site. (The Supreme Court can define the question) and then advanced to ensure equal protection in Reynolds v. Sims (1964)Links to an external site.. In Shaw v. Reno (1993),Links to an external site. the question of racial equity in Gerrymandering is answered (for the time).
Resources
Baker v. CarrBaker v. CarrBaker v. CarrBaker v. CarrBaker v. Carr Reynolds v. SimsReynolds v. Sims (extended)Shaw v. RenoShaw v. RenoShaw v. RenoQuick-Write Directions
QuickWrite Analysis:
Briefly summarize the evolution Supreme Court holdings in Baker v. Carr (1962), Reynolds v. Sims (1964), and Shaw v. Reno (1993) regarding equity in voting and representation. How does the objective of Gerrymandering (what is the objective?) conflicts conflict with equality of the vote and racial equality?
