Final answer:
The reapportionment of legislative districts in the U.S. ensures equal representation by adjusting the number of House seats per state and redrawing district boundaries after every U.S. Census to reflect population changes and uphold voting rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of reapportionment of legislative districts takes place in the U.S. to ensure that each district has nearly the same population, which maintains equal representation for citizens and helps to avoid malapportionment. Reapportionment adjusts the number of House of Representatives seats allotted to each state based on changes in population, and it occurs after each decennial U.S. Census. Following reapportionment, redistricting is the process by which new boundaries are drawn. This aims to meet specific requirements such as the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits the diminishing of voting strength for minorities, and to rectify shifts in population from rural to urban areas.
Redistricting can be influenced by gerrymandering, the intentional manipulation of district boundaries to favor one party, which can undermine fair political representation. Nonetheless, redistricting is essential to address population changes and ensure that every vote has equal weight under the principle of 'one person, one vote'.