DISTRICT, a term ordinarily meaning a region, a tract of land, a territory, but in the United States usually employed to designate a political subdivision of a State, county or city fixed for purposes of legislative or congressional representation, either under a law enacted by the legislature or by the adjudication of a court in which this power may be vested. The term has been used historically and currently in sev eral senses. It was applied to organized bodies of territory administered by the Federal govern ment because they were not populous or com pact enough for territorial institutions or for other reasons were withdrawn from that sys tem. Examples are the District of Columbia, first district, then territory, then district again; Alaska before its territorial organization; and from 1804-12 that portion of the Louisiana Purchase north of the present boundaries of the State of Louisiana. Until late in their history the counties in South Carolina were called dis tricts.
State The term is used also to designate a State or that portion of a State which constitutes the seat of jurisdiction of a United States court, such districts never cross ing State lines. See Comm Congressional Districts are marked off by the State legislature after the apportionment of representation in Congress has been made by that body, which bases its action upon the de cennial census. (See APPORTIONMENT; Cox cuss; ELECTIONS). These districts must con sist of contiguous and compact territory and as nearly as possible must contain an equal number of inhabitants. Congress has power to alter or to override entirely the regulations made by State legislatures as to the times, places and manner of holding elections, but this power was not exercised until 1842 when an apportionment act was passed providing that members should be elected by districts instead of by general ticket. Under the Constitution the senator and the representative must be °an inhabitant of that State') in which he is chosen but in some States the two senators have been taken from different sections or districts, while in Maryland for 75 years a statute required that one of the senators be elected from the oteastern shore?) Custom or law now requires that members of the House reside in the dis trict from which elected. Since no definite rule governs the manner of redistricting a State after a new apportionment, oftentimes the party in control of the legislature will perform this work in such a way as to secure for itself a number of congressmen larger than warranted under its share of the popular vote. See
GERRYMANDER.
State Senatorial Districts follow county lines in most States, especially in New Eng land, where the county itself is usually the basis for senatorial representation. In the newer States, after each decennial census, the State is redistricted for the ensuing elections of the fixed number of senators. Minnesota and Illi nois are the only States wherein election dis tricts serve for the election of members of both houses of the legislature. In some States un equal senatorial representation occurs, some times because a senator is accorded to each political unit (as in Rhode Island, where each town or city is represented by one senator), and sometimes because limitations are imposed with the intent to restrict the influence of any one city (as in New York, where no county may be represented by more than one-third of all the senators).
State Assembly Districts are usually redis tricted after each decennial census, the unit of representation being the town in some of the older States, particularly in New England. In Vermont each town may elect only one repre sentative; in Connecticut each town or city may send two but no more and no town which in 1818 elected two representatives has had its rep resentation reduced. As a result the city of New Haven with 150,000 population .has no larger representation in the legislature than the town of Union with only 400 population. For convenience each State assembly district is usu ally subdivided into election districts or voting precincts, the number depending upon the size or population and the ratio of apportionment decided upon by the board of elections.
City Districts.— For administrative pur poses cities are usually divided into districts such as police, fire, school, park, sewer, sani tary and election districts. Sometimes for tax ation purposes, cities are districted, particularly if special assessments be imposed for public im provements, the tax rate varying in the several districts. The charters generally establish these districts outright, confer the power to change their boundaries or delegate authority to estab lish them. In some cities are territorial subdi visions known as wards, which are established for specific civic purposes, such as units of rep resentation in the city council, and for police, taxing and election districts. They sometimes constitute an important part in the organization of political parties. See CITIES, AMERICAN,