Baker v. Carr Case Overview

What year did the Tennessee General Assembly last redraw legislative and congressional districts before the events of Baker v. Carr?

• 1901

• 1961

• 1946

• 1960

Which amendment's Equal Protection Clause was argued to be violated in Baker v. Carr?

• First Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Fourteenth Amendment

• Tenth Amendment

Explain why Charles Baker and others were frustrated with the Tennessee government regarding legislative districts.

• They felt rural areas were underrepresented.

• They believed urban votes were overrepresented.

• They felt urban areas were underrepresented and received less government assistance.

• They thought the districts were too frequently redrawn.

What was the main legal precedent that Joe Carr relied on to defend against Baker's lawsuit?

• Marbury v. Madison

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Colegrove v. Green

• Plessy v. Ferguson

Discuss the significance of the "political question doctrine" in the context of Baker v. Carr.

• It allowed the Supreme Court to avoid cases involving state laws.

• It was used to argue that the Court should not intervene in political matters.

• It required the Court to intervene in all political matters.

• It was a doctrine that supported the redrawing of districts.

Analyze the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Baker v. Carr on future legislative apportionment cases.

• It had no significant impact on future cases.

• It established the "one person, one vote" doctrine, leading to more equal representation.

• It led to the abolition of the political question doctrine.

• It resulted in fewer cases being brought to the Supreme Court.

What was one unintended consequence of the Baker v. Carr decision mentioned in the prompt?

• Increased rural representation

• More gerrymandering

• Decreased urban representation

• Fewer Supreme Court cases

Evaluate the role of Justice Charles Evans Whittaker in the Baker v. Carr case.

• He was a decisive vote in favor of Baker.

• He had a nervous breakdown and did not participate in the final decision.

• He wrote the majority opinion.

• He was the main dissenter against Baker.

What percentage of the Tennessee state senate seats did the Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville metropolitan areas hold despite having 63% of the state's population?

• 33%

• 50%

• 13%

• 25%

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Baker v. Carr change the Court's involvement in political questions?

• It limited the Court's involvement in political questions.

• It expanded the Court's involvement, allowing it to rule on legislative reapportionment.

• It had no effect on the Court's involvement in political questions.

• It prohibited the Court from ruling on any political questions.