Baker v. Carr
In Baker v. Carr, 269 U.S. 186 (1962), the U.S. Supreme Court is known today mostly for William Brennan's discussion of the political question doctrine. In a 6-2 decision, the Court held that the apportionment of state legislative districts was not a political question and could be reviewed by the courts. Together with Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), this decision created the "one man, one vote" requirement for state legislative apportionment. Justice William Brennan wrote this decision for the Warren Court, declaring that it was the "responsibility of this Court as ultimate interpreter of the Constitution."
Justice Felix Frankfurter, joined by Justice John Harlan II, complained in dissent that this was "a massive repudiation of the experience of our past in asserting destructively novel judicial power."
See Also
External Links
- Case at FindLaw