--- title: "State Legislatures | Civil Rights and Civil Liberties" description: "State legislatures are each state’s lawmaking bodies, and they shape redistricting, gerrymandering, and voting rights in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/state-legislatures" type: "key-term" subject: "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties" unit: "Unit 6" --- # State Legislatures | Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ## Definition State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies in each state. In Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, they matter because they often control redistricting, which can shape voting power and fairness. ## What It Is State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies in each of the 50 states, and in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties they matter most when you study how voting maps get drawn and who gets political power. They pass state laws, approve budgets, and decide the rules that shape elections inside the state. Most state legislatures are bicameral, meaning they have two chambers like a house and a senate, although a few are unicameral. That structure matters because the map-drawing process usually has to move through the legislature just like other major laws do. If one party controls enough seats, it can influence how districts are drawn after the census. That is where state legislatures connect to redistricting. Every ten years, after the census, states redraw legislative and congressional district lines so districts reflect population changes. The state legislature often sets the plan, votes on the map, and decides the criteria that the map must follow, such as compactness, contiguity, or respect for communities of interest. Because district lines can be drawn in different ways, state legislatures can also shape the outcome of elections through gerrymandering. That means a majority party may draw lines to pack opposing voters into a few districts or spread them across many districts so they have less influence overall. In a rights and liberties class, this is a big deal because it shows how the structure of democracy can affect representation before anyone casts a ballot. A good example is a state legislature that redraws a map right after a census and leaves one party with more seats than its statewide vote share would suggest. That does not always mean the map is illegal, but it raises questions about fairness, equal representation, and whether voters are being treated evenhandedly. Some states try to reduce that problem by using independent commissions instead of letting legislators control every step. So when you see state legislatures in this course, think beyond "state government." Think about the specific power to write election rules, draw districts, and influence how civil rights are protected in practice, not just on paper. ## Why It Matters State legislatures matter in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties because they sit right at the point where democratic rights can be expanded or weakened. A legislature that controls redistricting can shape who gets represented, which makes this term central to debates about voting rights, racial fairness, and partisan advantage. This term also gives you a way to connect constitutional principles to real political outcomes. Equal protection, due process, and the right to vote sound abstract until you see how district maps can dilute a community’s influence or lock in an electoral advantage for one party. When you study civil liberties, you are not only learning what rights exist, but also how state institutions can affect whether those rights have real force. State legislatures also show up in legal disputes. Courts often get involved when people challenge district maps, especially if the maps look like racial gerrymanders or extreme partisan gerrymanders. That means the term helps you track the relationship between state power, judicial review, and reform efforts like independent redistricting commissions. If you can explain what a state legislature does during redistricting, you can usually explain why a map became controversial, why a case was filed, and what reformers are trying to change. ## Connections ### Redistricting Redistricting is the process that state legislatures often control after the census. If you understand the legislature’s role, you can explain why district lines change at all and why the timing matters. Redistricting is the formal process, while the legislature is often the actor making the decisions and setting the rules for how the new map is drawn. ### Gerrymandering Gerrymandering is what can happen when a state legislature uses redistricting to help one party or group. The legislature is the institution with the power, and gerrymandering is the way that power can be used strategically. In assignments, you may be asked to spot packed or cracked districts and explain how legislative control made them possible. ### Bicameral Legislature Many state legislatures are bicameral, so district plans often have to pass through two chambers. That matters because the structure of the lawmaking body can slow down reform, create bargaining, or let one chamber block a map from becoming law. It also helps you compare states with two chambers to the few states that use a unicameral system. ### [Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/arizona-state-legislature-v-arizona-independent-redistricting-commission) This case is a major example of the fight over who should draw district maps. It shows the tension between a state legislature’s power and efforts to move redistricting to an independent commission. If you are reading a case summary, this term helps you identify the institutional conflict at the center of the decision. ## On the AP Exam A quiz question might give you a short scenario about a state drawing new congressional maps after the census and ask who controls the process or why the map is controversial. In an essay, you may need to explain how a state legislature can shape representation through redistricting and connect that to gerrymandering or voting rights. On map-based questions, you should look for oddly shaped districts, packed urban areas, or split communities and then trace how legislative power produced them. In class discussion, this term often comes up when comparing legislative maps with independent commissions. ## Key Takeaways - State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies in each state, and in this course they matter most because they often control redistricting. - Their power over district maps can affect representation, voting strength, and partisan control long before Election Day. - Gerrymandering happens when legislative map-drawing is used to favor one party or weaken a group’s influence. - A bicameral state legislature may make the redistricting process more complicated because two chambers usually have to approve the plan. - Independent commissions are one reform used to reduce the amount of partisan control state legislatures have over district maps. ## FAQs ### What is state legislatures in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties? State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies in each state. In this subject, they come up because they often control redistricting and can shape how fairly voters are represented. That makes them part of the bigger conversation about voting rights and political power. ### How do state legislatures affect gerrymandering? When a state legislature draws district lines, it can choose boundaries that help one party win more seats. That can happen through packing or cracking voters. So the legislature is not the gerrymander itself, but it is often the body that makes it possible. ### Are state legislatures always bicameral? No. Most states have two chambers, but a few use a unicameral legislature. The structure matters because it changes how maps and laws move through the state government. If your class compares states, this is a useful detail to notice. ### Why do state legislatures matter for voting rights? They matter because the way they draw districts can change how much influence different communities have in elections. A map that splits a neighborhood or concentrates one group into a few districts can weaken representation even if everyone technically still has the right to vote. That is why state legislatures come up in voting-rights debates and court cases. ## Related Study Guides - [6.3 Gerrymandering and redistricting](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/unit-6/gerrymandering-redistricting/study-guide/fQW1H2oHM66h0Rn7) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/state-legislatures#resource","name":"State Legislatures | Civil Rights and Civil Liberties","url":"https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/state-legislatures","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/state-legislatures#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:21:15.319Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/state-legislatures#term","name":"state legislatures","description":"State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies in each state. 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