Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims established which principle?

• A. Separation of church and state
• B. Reapportionment for equal representation
• C. Freedom of speech
• D. Due process

Answer: (B)

Equal representation in legislative districts is what Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims establish. Baker v. Carr held that questions about how states draw their legislative districts are justiciable in federal courts, meaning the courts can hear and decide redistricting cases. Reynolds v. Sims went further, requiring state legislative districts to be roughly equal in population so that each vote has comparable weight—a standard often summarized as one person, one vote. This combination ensures that representation is distributed fairly and that voters’ influence isn’t diluted in some areas. The other options refer to different constitutional questions — separation of church and state, freedom of speech, and due process — which are not the principle these cases set forth.