Questions and Answers
What did M.O. Sims and other voters challenge regarding the Alabama state legislature?
What population variance ratios existed in the Alabama Senate?
41-to-1
Did the last apportionment of the Alabama legislature use the 1960 federal census?
False
Did Alabama's apportionment scheme violate the Fourteenth Amendment's ______ Clause?
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What principle does Reynolds v. Sims establish?
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What did the Court hold about the representation required under the Equal Protection Clause?
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What was the ruling in the case of Reynolds v. Sims?
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Justice John Marshall Harlan supported unrestricted state control over legislature composition.
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Study Notes
Facts
- The case originated in 1961 with challenges from voters in Jefferson County, Alabama, regarding state legislature apportionment.
- The Alabama Constitution guaranteed each county at least one representative, leading to significant population variance in voting power (up to 41-to-1 in the Senate).
- Plaintiffs claimed that legislative apportionment relied on outdated 1900 census data, resulting in discriminatory representation against areas with rapid population growth.
Procedure
- Legal proceedings initiated by voters challenging Alabama's apportionment policy.
Issues
- The central issue was whether Alabama's apportionment violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by mandating one representative per county irrespective of population disparities.
Holding
- The ruling confirmed that the Equal Protection Clause ensures equal voting participation in legislative elections.
- Disparities in vote weight tied to residency violate constitutional rights as severely as discrimination based on race or economic status.
Judgment
- The decision was reached with an 8-1 majority.
Opinion
- The Supreme Court's opinion emphasized the necessity for substantially equal legislative representation for all citizens.
- It underscored the right to direct representation as foundational to the political system and mandated states to make genuine efforts to equalize district populations.
Argument for Reynolds
- Reynolds v. Sims established the "one-person, one-vote" principle as integral to the U.S. Constitution.
- The Supreme Court addressed political question justiciability by framing the issue within the Equal Protection context, stating that a debased vote undermines citizenship rights.
Argument for Sims
- Justice John Marshall Harlan contended that states should maintain autonomy over legislative composition and that this matter falls outside the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the key facts and concepts of the landmark case, Reynolds v. Sims. This quiz will help you understand the implications of the 1961 Supreme Court decision regarding legislative apportionment and representation in Alabama. Ideal for students studying political science or law.
