Reflection Paper
Matthew Chance
GOVT 327-D01
Professor Aaron Van Allen
December 13, 2020
The Structure of State Legislatures and Roles They Have in State Government
Locke’s view on the roles of government states that it is imperative to have legislation in order to
preserve our society or any type of society. In establishment of legislative power, the goal is to govern
itself and people which means the citizens or people are only subject to be submissive of its authority. It
means that people need to give all the attention to the government because they have all the control.
Locke basically believes that it is essential and a must to have a legislative power to interpret natural law
since there is a disagreement in human nature. Locke believes that no nobody and no man should take
all power which does have the same concept with the Bible that there should be multiple assets in
power. A Bible verse that comes to mind is Romans 13:1 (NIV), “Let every person be subject to the
governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those exist have been instituted by
God.”
The reapportionment process
“Reapportionment is the redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on
changes in population. These changes are recorded by the U.S. Census, which is conducted every 10
years” (Fair Districts PA). This is to make sure that each state has an equal chance of representatives
based on their population. If one state grows in population, then they will receive more representatives
while the other loses some representation. In the Senate, each state has the same amount with 2 state
legislators to have the equal amount throughout the United States. “State legislatures are redistricted
following the U.S. Census, which is taken every ten years. Redistricting allows population fluctuations—
growth in some areas, decline in others—to be reflected in redrawn district lines” (Bowman & Kearney).
This is important because it makes sure that every voice is heard for how many citizens live in a vertain
district. This is done every 10 years when a new census is done. This is a good thing because people
move to different cities all the time and representatives always change.
The structures of state court systems, their selections, and decision making
“The Court’s origins are deeply rooted in the philosophic thoughts of the Framers and, more
particularly, in the writings of the philosopher, John Locke. The foundations and purposes of a liberal
republic as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and in Lockean theory give rise to
constitutional governments” (Erica Cook 1997). The United States has the Supreme Court which is the
highest court, 94 district level trial courts, and 13 courts of appeals that all sit below the Supreme Court.
The 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each that have a court of appeals.
The court systems are a major part of the United States. People are able to send appeals to the Supreme
Court for final ruling but that does not mean the Supreme Court has to take that case at all. A Bible verse
that comes to mind about court and justice is Luke 12:11-12 (NIV), “11 ‘When you are brought before
synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will
say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.’” Decision making is done
through the courts with a jury made up with your own peers. This is a vial step with a jury of your peers
because it means that you are getting a fair trial.
The concept of judicial federalism
“Federalism may mean all things to all people. Judicial federalism is the necessary accommodation
required by our federal structure of state and national courts” (Thomas E. Baker 1995). This is basically
stating that federal courts have the power to release people from custody if a judge determines that
they are not being detained constitutionally and may review criminal convictions in state courts for
violations of the federal courts. This is to ensure that everything is upheld for every person no matter the
situation that they are in. John Locke believed that every person had the right to a fair trail and to be
treated the same according to laws.
References
Bible Gateway passage: Romans 13:1 - New International Version. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020,
from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1
What is reapportionment? (2020, January 01). Retrieved December 14, 2020, from
https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/faq/what-is-reapportionment
(n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020, from https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?
eISBN=9780357042175
The True Extent of the Supreme CourtRs Constitutional Influence. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020,
from https://ashbrook.org/publications/respub-v7n1-cook/
Bible Gateway passage: Luke 12:11-12 - New International Version. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2020,
from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A11-12
Thomas E. Baker, A Catalogue of Judicial Federalism in the United States , 46 S.C. L. Rev. 835 (1995).
Available at: https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/faculty_publications/153
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