Baker v. Carr

Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Charles Baker sued Tennessee, alleging that the state’s legislative apportionment had not been updated since 1901, despite significant population shifts, resulting in rural overrepresentation and urban underrepresentation. Tennessee argued that legislative apportionment was a ‘political question’ not subject to judicial review.

Significance

Justice Brennan’s 6-2 opinion held that challenges to legislative apportionment under the Equal Protection Clause are justiciable — they present questions that federal courts can decide. The decision overruled Colegrove v. Green (1946) and opened the door to federal judicial review of redistricting. While Baker did not decide the merits of the apportionment claim, it laid the groundwork for Reynolds v. Sims (1964), which established the ‘one person, one vote’ principle.

Category

US Federal Case Law