American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

266 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS

of lawsuits about racial redistricting. The current legal standard is that race can-

not be the predominant factor in drawing congressional district lines, but it may

still be a factor.

Congress’s Image Problem

Despite members’ strong links to their constituents, eff orts to secure re-election,

and districts that are designed in their favor, public approval of Congress is gener-

ally very low. Its approval rate rarely tops 50 percent (a recent exception was fol-

lowing the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001). Through most of 2012, approval

for Congress hovered in the low teens and was only 16 percent before Election Day

in November. And the public’s cynical view of Congress runs deep. Well over half

of all Americans agree with polling statements such as “The government is pretty

much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.” Another poll found

that members of Congress landed fi fth from the bottom in a ranking of 26 profes-

sions in terms of perceived honesty and ethical standards.^8

Why does Congress have such an image problem? Some of it is self-infl icted.

Although political corruption for personal gain is rare in Congress (only four

members have been indicted on bribery charges since 1981), there are periodic

scandals. The two most serious recent cases involved bribery. In one, Rep. Wil-

liam Jeff erson (D-La.) was found guilty of soliciting bribes, money laundering,

and using his offi ce as a racketeering enterprise. In addition, Mark Foley (R-Fla.)

11 10

9

8

6

5

12

4

2

7

1

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Source: North Carolina General Assembly, 1992 Congressional Base Plan No. 10, http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/

Redistricting/Archives/Defuncan10/92BP10_Map_ Detail.pdf, http://ncga.state.nc.us/GIS/Download/Reference

Docs/2011/NC%20 Congressional%20Districts%20–%20Historical%20Plans%20–%201941–1992.pdf (accessed

10/26/12).

NORTH CAROLINA REDISTRICTING, 1992

This set of House districts was the subject of the landmark Supreme Court ruling

Shaw v. Reno (1993), in which the Court said that “appearances matter” when

drawing district lines. Do you agree? Should other factors such as race, party, and

competitiveness play a greater role than district shape?

FIGURE » 9.3