Carving Out Legislative Districts

Reapportionment and redistricting are defined and discussed. Congressional districts are reapportioned every ten years. Then comes redistricting, drawing district lines so that districts are of relatively equal population. In recent years there has been a great deal of criticism over partisanship and charges of racial gerrymandering. While racial gerrymandering is prohibited by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the courts have permitted partisan gerrymandering. For the most part, state legislatures, especially the majority party, make decisions on how the boundaries of legislative districts will be established. There have been attempts to take redistricting and gerrymandering out of the hands of partisan legislators.