POSC150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Gerrymandering, Safe Seat, Connecticut Compromise

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POSC150
• Professor: Professor Hickel

Document Summary

The house of representative and the senate. Each house has power to inhibit the other"s actions. Backgrounds in law, baking, and big business. Though it has become more diverse, not much has changed since our founding in this regard. Created to be sensitive to public opinion. 2 year terms force it to be responsive to shifts in public attitudes. Campaign cycle begins as soon as election ends. Tendency to do what is popular rather than what is right. Keeping the size of districts relatively equal requires redrawing boundaries every. Also may require adjusting number of representatives allotted to each state. Redistricting is a political process with winners and losers. State legislatures redraw their boundaries after every census. Redrawing district boundaries to advance partisan interests. To create a safe seat or to make a safe seat more competitive. Majority of registered voters in a district are of one party. Competitive seat is unclear which party has majority.