Which term describes a district where votes are unequal in size?

Which term describes a district where votes are unequal in size?

• A. Gerrymandered
• B. Reapportioned
• C. Malapportioned
• D. Disbarred

Answer: (C)

Equal representation depends on districts having roughly the same number of people, so every vote carries about equal weight. Malapportioned is the term for a district where those populations aren’t equal, meaning one district has many more residents than another but may still share the same number of representatives. When that happens, votes in the larger district count less in terms of representation, which conflicts with the principle of one person, one vote. For example, if one district has 50,000 people and another has 100,000 but both elect one representative, residents of the larger district have less influence per person. Gerrymandering refers to drawing lines to favor a party or group, not the issue of unequal district sizes. Reapportionment is the process of redistributing seats to reflect population changes, which aims to fix malapportionment. Disbarred is unrelated.

Equal representation depends on districts having roughly the same number of people, so every vote carries about equal weight. Malapportioned is the term for a district where those populations aren’t equal, meaning one district has many more residents than another but may still share the same number of representatives. When that happens, votes in the larger district count less in terms of representation, which conflicts with the principle of one person, one vote. For example, if one district has 50,000 people and another has 100,000 but both elect one representative, residents of the larger district have less influence per person. Gerrymandering refers to drawing lines to favor a party or group, not the issue of unequal district sizes. Reapportionment is the process of redistributing seats to reflect population changes, which aims to fix malapportionment. Disbarred is unrelated.