Heimlich's History: Baker v. Carr Supreme Court Case

Introduction

• Focus: Baker v. Carr, a required Supreme Court case in the AP Government curriculum.
• Context: The case decided in 1962 regarding legislative districting in Tennessee.

Facts of the Case

• Tennessee hadn't redrawn legislative districts in over 60 years.
• Urban populations grew faster than rural populations.
• Discrepancy in voting power:
  • Urban vs. rural district votes were unequally weighted.

Problem with Redistricting

• Supreme Court previously ruled redistricting questions as non-justiciable (political, not justice questions).
• Baker v. Carr challenged this view.

Constitutional Principle

• 14th Amendment, Equal Protection Clause:
  • States cannot deny equal protection under the law.
  • Argument: Unequal districting violated this principle.

Supreme Court Decision

• Decision: Reapportionment issues are justiciable.
• Supreme Court has authority to rule on legislative reapportionment.
• Noteworthy: Decision was highly stressful and controversial among justices.

Significance of the Decision

1. One-Person, One-Vote Doctrine
   • States must apportion representatives to equally represent all voters.
2. Impact on Political Representation
   • Led to redistricting in many states to balance rural and urban votes.
3. Supreme Court's Role
   • Expanded to include political questions like redistricting.
   • Established a six-part test to determine justiciability of political questions.

Conclusion

• Baker v. Carr reshaped political representation and the role of the Supreme Court in dealing with political questions.
• The video emphasizes the importance of understanding this case for AP Government students.