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| REDISTRICTING and GERRYMANDERING | |||||||||||
Visit our Fair Districts web site for the latest new and information about Redistricting
A Little Bit of History
Every ten years following the national census, the state legislatures of the United States learn how many representatives their state will send to the Congress. Representation is based on state population and there is a maximum of 435 representatives; some states will gain representatives while others loose representation. California may gain three new seats after 2001.
Currently, the California Legislature is responsible for redistricting the state into its congressional districts. The legislature also currently has the power to redistrict the State Assembly, the State Senate and the Board of Equalization
The term gerrymandering is derived from Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), the governor of Massachusetts from 1810 to 1812. In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill into law that redistricted his state to overwhelmingly and unfairly benefit his and Thomas Jefferson's Democrat-Republican party.
The 1982 California congressional reapportionment, designed by the late Democrat Congressman Philip Burton, is the classic example of gerrymandering in California. Before Burtons' creativity was applied to district drawing, the congressional delegation was divided almost equally between Democrats and Republicans, much like it is today. After Burton' work, the California delegation became overwhelmingly and unfairly Democrat. Burton later described his unfair plan (with it's irregular lines and odd-shaped districts) as his "contribution to modern art." Jerry Brown (then Governor of California) signed the unfair Burton gerrymandering plan into law.
In 1992 with Willie Brown in control of the California Assembly, the Democrat plan was an instant replay of Burton's gerrymandering plan. Governor Wilson, saying he was seeking an honest and fair reapportionment plan of competitive districts that complied with the Federal Voting-Rights Act, vetoed the unfair Democrat plan. The State Supreme Court appointed masters to draw the 1992 Congressional, Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization districts. The master-drawn districts are fair and honest districts that split control of the California Congressional delegation between Republican and Democrat parties, much like the split before Philip Burton's unfair gerrymandering.
People's Advocate tried to place the duty of redistricting back to special masters "Let the Voters Decide Act of 2000". We qualified Proposition 24 for the March ballot. But the Democrats, who want to continue the gerrymandering history, succeeded in getting Proposition 24 thrown off the ballot. Go to our Newsrom (press "back" button to return here): California Redistricting Is Off the Ballot In Boost for Democrats, Court Removes GOP-Backed Initiative on Boundaries
For more information, check out the following:
California: Statewide Database
Cato Institute (The End Of Representation)
Districting Principles and Democratic Representation