Final answer:
The primary reason for redrawing district boundaries for the House of Representatives after a census is to adjust for changes in population, ensuring equal representation. This process is often abused in the form of gerrymandering, where districts are drawn to favor certain political parties.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary reason for redrawing the boundaries of districts for the House of Representatives after a census is a) To adjust for changes in population. The process, known as redistricting, is required to balance the number of constituents in each district. This ensures that each district has an equal representation and guards against malapportionment, which is the unequal distribution of voters across districts.
However, it's important to note that, although the intent of redistricting is to equalize population among districts, it can sometimes lead to gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is when the boundaries are drawn in a way to secure an electoral advantage for a specific political party or group. This can detract from the fairness of the democratic process as it can influence who can win elections for the House of Representatives for a decade.
The Voting Rights Act does set requirements to ensure districts do not dilute the voting strength of minorities and requires that districts are relatively equal in population.