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LSDefine
Simple English definitions for legal terms
malapportionment
Read a random definition: aggravating circumstance
A quick definition of malapportionment:
Malapportionment: When the way that a group of people is divided up into different voting districts is not fair or against the rules, it is called malapportionment. This means that some districts might have more or less people than others, which can make it harder for everyone's vote to count the same. It's like if you were playing a game and one team had more players than the other, it wouldn't be fair. Malapportionment can also be called gerrymandering or legislative districting.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Malapportionment is when a legislative district is improperly or unconstitutionally divided. This means that the distribution of voters in a district is not fair or equal. It can happen when one district has significantly more voters than another district, which can lead to unequal representation in government.
Examples: For example, let's say that a state has two legislative districts. District A has 100,000 voters, while District B has only 50,000 voters. This means that District A has twice as many voters as District B, even though both districts have the same number of representatives. This is an example of malapportionment because the voters in District B have more representation than the voters in District A.
Another example of malapportionment is when a district is gerrymandered. Gerrymandering is when a district is drawn in a way that benefits one political party over another. This can lead to malapportionment because the voters in one district may have more influence over the outcome of an election than voters in another district.
Explanation: Malapportionment is a problem because it can lead to unequal representation in government. When one district has more voters than another district, the voters in the smaller district may not have as much influence over the outcome of an election. This means that their voices may not be heard as much as the voices of voters in the larger district. Malapportionment can also lead to unfair policies and laws being passed because the interests of one group of voters may be prioritized over another group of voters.