Tennessee Geography

TN Government

Tennessee Government• Three Grand Divisions

o Easto Middleo West

TN Politics• Prior to 1960- state leaned Democratic• The state now leans toward the Republican

Partyo Bush beat Gore (a Tennessean) in the 2000

Presidential election in TN• The Republican Party is strongest in East TN

and in the suburbs surrounding Memphis and Nashville

• Democrats are strong in Memphis and in parts of Middle TN (Nashville)

Congressional Districts• United States Congressional Districts

are based on populations of the stateo TN has 9 Congressional Districtso Roane County (3rd District: Chuck

Fleischman and 4th District: Scott DesJarlais)

U.S. Census

• The U.S. Government counts every person in the country every 10 years (U.S. Constitution)

• Redraw Congressional districts if needed.

TN Legislative

• Bicameral Legislatureo Senateo House of Representatives

State Congressional Districts• TN Senate is divided into 33 senatorial

districtso Roane County District 12- Ken Yagero Oliver Springs (Anderson County) District 5-

Randy McNally

• TN House is divided into 99 House Districts o Roane County- District 32 Dennis Fergusono Oliver Springs (Anderson County)- Les

Winningham

Population Shifts• By mid-1900s, TN’s population was

shifting from rural areas (out in the countryside) into urban areas (cities).

• Congressional districts did not change with the population shift giving rural areas more political power

• Mayor of a Memphis suburb sued to force the state to redraw its district boundaries and give urban areas their due representation

• Congressional Districts Can Change:o Baker v Carr (1962)- the U.S. Supreme

Court ruled that the courts could require TN to redraw those boundaries to account for population shifts

o Congressional districts in any state must have equal populations.

TN’s Largest Cities