A history of re-apportionment in the United States. Fifty eight distinguished contributors show in a state-by-state format how re-apportionment has shaped the politics of the states, and how it continues to do so after a recent federal census. The balance of parties in both state and federal legislatures, the voice of minority groups, even the role of local governments can be manipulated by redistricting.

This is the only book to date to analyze the impact of congressional redistricting and reapportionment from the early 1960s to the 1980s. Equal-population redistricting, and the 1970 and 1980 reapportionments shifted seats in the House of Representatives to suburbia and the sunbelt. While the new district alignments influenced changes in several aspects of the House, conservatives, Republicans, and sunbelt Representatives failed to make significant gains in power as had been predicted.