History

Discussion Board

100 points

Please read carefully before you answer.

Important: the provided sources are mandatory. You can use your textbook and lessons articles and videos under chapter three as permitted sources for this assignment. These are essay questions, please avoid using short answers. 

Use and cite all the given sources in the assignment as evidence or examples to support your position.

No external sources are accepted for this assignment.  

Each Texas citizen has one Texas State House member and one Texas State Senate member to represent him or her. Use this website to find your representatives. The “Who Represents Me” section allows you to put in your address and locate your state house and senate members. 

1. Name your state house and state senate representatives, their party affiliation, their gender and race. What is your (state house and state senate) district numbers? Please click on the link below:

Texas Congress Website

Elected Officials Directory

To answer question two, you must study chapter three, "Qualifications and Demographics"; "Reapportionment and Redistricting” and check the provided link below.

2. How representative is the legislature of the people of Texas (Demographically)? In what ways can representation be defined? What reforms would make the legislature more representative?

Demographic Trends and Population Projections for Texas and the North Texas Region

To answer questions 3, you must study chapter three, "The structure and the size of the Texas Legislature."

3.  Some people contend that smaller constituencies might allow a wider array of people to participate in state politics, rather than just the “rich” or “well born.” How would you argue in favor of or against this statement? 

(Chapter 3: The structure and the size of the Texas Legislature) (minimum 2 to 3 paragraphs)

State	2010 Population	House	Senate
California	37,253,956	465,674	931,349
Texas	25,145,561	167,637	811,147
New York	19,378,102	129,187	307,589
Florida	18,801,310	156,678	470,033
Illinois	12,830,632	108,734	217,468

To answer Question Four, you must study "Reapportionment and Redistricting" "Political and Racial Gerrymandering", Read the assigned articles and watch the videos.

4. To what extent should legislators use race when redistricting? Do you think redistricting is an appropriate tool to provide representation to minority or underserved populations? Why or why not?