Which landmark case is associated with reapportionment and the one person, one vote principle?

Which landmark case is associated with reapportionment and the one person, one vote principle?

• A. Reynolds v. Sims
• B. Gideon v. Wainwright
• C. Plessy v. Ferguson
• D. Dred Scott v. Sandford

Answer: (A)

Reapportionment and the one person, one vote principle are about making sure each vote has roughly the same weight by drawing legislative districts with equal populations. Reynolds v. Sims is the case that held state legislative districts must be apportioned roughly by population, applying the 14th Amendment’s equal protection guarantee to ensure equal voting influence in every district. This solidified the standard that rural and urban areas should have fair, proportional representation, ending distorted maps that gave some voters far more power than others. It also builds on the idea from Baker v. Carr that redistricting issues are justiciable, but Reynolds specifically applies the one person, one vote principle to state legislatures. The other cases address different rights or issues—Gideon v. Wainwright concerns the right to counsel, Plessy v. Ferguson deals with segregation, and Dred Scott v. Sandford concerns citizenship and slavery—so Reynolds best fits the question about reapportionment and vote weight.

Reapportionment and the one person, one vote principle are about making sure each vote has roughly the same weight by drawing legislative districts with equal populations. Reynolds v. Sims is the case that held state legislative districts must be apportioned roughly by population, applying the 14th Amendment’s equal protection guarantee to ensure equal voting influence in every district. This solidified the standard that rural and urban areas should have fair, proportional representation, ending distorted maps that gave some voters far more power than others. It also builds on the idea from Baker v. Carr that redistricting issues are justiciable, but Reynolds specifically applies the one person, one vote principle to state legislatures. The other cases address different rights or issues—Gideon v. Wainwright concerns the right to counsel, Plessy v. Ferguson deals with segregation, and Dred Scott v. Sandford concerns citizenship and slavery—so Reynolds best fits the question about reapportionment and vote weight.