Which case is commonly cited for establishing the 'one person, one vote' principle in legislative districts?

Which case is commonly cited for establishing the 'one person, one vote' principle in legislative districts?

• A. Reynolds v. Sims
• B. Plessy v. Ferguson
• C. Brown v. Board of Education
• D. Marbury v. Madison

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that votes should carry roughly equal weight across legislative districts, so districts are drawn with nearly the same population to ensure equal representation for each citizen. Reynolds v. Sims is the case most closely associated with establishing this principle for state legislatures. In Reynolds, the Supreme Court held that the Equal Protection Clause requires that state legislative districts be apportioned on a population basis, meaning that one person’s vote should not be diluted by living in a much larger or smaller district. This decision built on the idea that redistricting is justiciable and that districts must be kept roughly equal in population, so representation remains fair as populations change over time. By contrast, the other cases address different issues: one concerns racial segregation and its legality, another addresses school desegregation, and the last deals with judicial review.

The main idea is that votes should carry roughly equal weight across legislative districts, so districts are drawn with nearly the same population to ensure equal representation for each citizen. Reynolds v. Sims is the case most closely associated with establishing this principle for state legislatures. In Reynolds, the Supreme Court held that the Equal Protection Clause requires that state legislative districts be apportioned on a population basis, meaning that one person’s vote should not be diluted by living in a much larger or smaller district. This decision built on the idea that redistricting is justiciable and that districts must be kept roughly equal in population, so representation remains fair as populations change over time.

By contrast, the other cases address different issues: one concerns racial segregation and its legality, another addresses school desegregation, and the last deals with judicial review.