Presented by Willard Hurst as part of his course "Introduction to Modern American Legal History" at the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1978. The issues of mal-apportionment and equal access to the vote are introduced through an examination of Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virginia. Hurst emphasizes the importance of judicial review when dealing with these topics, and describes modern trends within state apportionment statutes. The cases of Baker v. Carr, and Mahen v. Hollow are used to expand upon this discussion of current-day gerrymandering, and the presence of suburbia is considered as an important factor within present day apportionment problems. This lecture focuses heavily on the adaptation of public policy, and how this tactic has been used to ensure equal protection under the law. Hurst explains this concept within the context of early American history by highlighting the extension of the commercial market to the farmer. He goes on by incorporating the redistribution of power after the creation of the fourteenth amendment, the effects of Brown v. Board of Education, and public suspicion of corporations and a corrupt government.
