Congressional Districting, the Issue of Equal Representation [HB 1st]

Hacker, Andrew

Published by The Brookings Institution, 1963

About this Item

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTING, THE ISSUE OF EQUAL REPRESENTATION, Andrew Hacker, hardcover with unclipped dust jacket, first edition, 1963. BOOK CONDITION: near fine. The text block is in fine condition, with no tears, dogears, or marks. No bookplate but the signature of a prior owner is written inside the front cover. Not a library book or remainder. The beige and red cloth boards are in near fine condition (bumped spine). The dust jacket is in good condition (light edge chipping, rubbed covers). 9 1/4 x 6, 132 pages, 13 ounces. XX [From the dust jacket flaps] Here is a lucid and up-to-date analysis of the growing problem of giving American voters equal representation in Congress. Because of the reluctance of state legislatures to take account of the rapid shifts in population, most congressional districts today are either overrepresented or underrepresented. In 21 states the vote of the citizen in the smallest congressional district is worth twice the value of the vote of the citizen in the largest district. Generally, the rural voter has the greatest voting power and the suburban voter the least, with the central city voter usually faring considerably better than the suburbanite. These inequities have been receiving increasing attention since March 1962 when the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision affecting representation in state legislatures. In Baker v. Carr the court held that in Tennessee? where the vote of a citizen in the smallest legislative district was worth 23 times the vote of a citizen in the largest district? citizens were not being accorded equal protection of the laws. The focus of Professor Hacker's study is on the implications of this decision for congressional districting, an issue on which the court has not yet spoken. He explains the constitutional and historical background of apportionment, the extent and consequences of overrepresentation and underrepresentation, variations in gerrymandering techniques, the responses of the states to the 1960 Census, and the likelihood of reducing disparities in voting power during the 1960's. The case for equal districts transcends partisan differences between Democrats and Republicans. The real problem, the author points out, "is not to secure more liberal or conservative legislation, but to give full representation to all Americans. How they will want to use their power, what kind of congressmen they will elect, what will be the ultimate legislative outcome?these are important questions, but they should not affect the overriding issue of equal votes for equal citizens." The author believes that the courts, rather than the states or Congress, are more likely to provide corrective action. Andrew Hacker, of the Department of Government, Cornell University, is a frequent contributor to magazines and professional journals.

Seller Inventory # 002169

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Congressional Districting, the Issue of Equal Representation [HB 1st]
• Publisher: The Brookings Institution
• Publication Date: 1963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Weight: 13 ounces
• Seller catalogs:
  • Congress
  • Government