Are We Truly Equal - Intro to American Government

Crystal Colon

Intro to American Government

Dr. Meirowitz                 

3/9/15        

        Redistricting is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries in the United States. Since there is a census every ten years that have to put into consideration the change of the population.  Gerrymandering is the drawing of the electorial district boundaries to where one political party has an advantage over the other. By doing this the politicioner has an advantage over his campaign by he is able to choose which population he is able to include in his district boundry that will vote or his political party.

The serious political issue that arises with the partisan political drawing of the lines is it encourages manipulation of the elections by allowing politicians to help partisan allies. This hurts political enemies and there able to choose their voters before the voters are able to choose them. This is used as a means to further political goals by drawing boundaries to protect politicians currently holding office and reduce competition. Instead of ensuring equal voting power and fair representation.

        On March 2, 2015 a Supreme Court heard arguments in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Comm'n. This case is showing how willing the court is to prevent separation of powers from becoming a law that is still formally in effect but no longer valid or enforced.

Separation of powers protects individual liberty by preventing any one branch of government from obtaining too much power. It also ensures that the government functions effectively. This is done by assigning to each branch those powers that are most appropriate to its nature.

The Arizona case involves a dispute between Arizona’s legislative and executive branches. They are trying to determine whether the Constitution provides for parliamentary sovereignty or whether the people are sovereign. A issue in the case is the constitutionality of Proposition 106. It is a referendum passed by Arizona voters that deprived the legislature of drawing the state’s congressional districts. This power was given to an independent commission. When the commission redrew the districts in 2012, the Arizona legislature filed a law suit, stating that the commission had violated Article I, section 4, of the U.S. Constitution, stating, “the Times, Places and Manner of holding elections for … Representatives [in the House] shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof .” The Court must first find that Arizona legislature has a right to sue. The Court will decide whether the Elections Clause of the U.S.