An accessible resource for understanding controversies and debates surrounding political representation and its importance to American democracy.

How do laws governing voting and elections shape political representation and power in the USA?

Are some demographic and socioeconomic groups of Americans over- or under-represented in Congress, state legislatures, and other elected offices? How do factors like gerrymandering and voting rights influence America's democratic institutions? This accessible resource answers all these questions and many more.

This one-stop resource provides readers with historical context, explanations of current controversies and developments, and illuminating primary sources related to political representation. Original essays offer a range of perspectives, while profiles of significant figures and organizations—from Susan B. Anthony to the American Civil Liberties Union—provide insight into how this issue has evolved over time.

"There is much useful information for researchers of historic accounts of marginalization in both voting and representation of various segments of the population … this volume does well in providing a concise source of facts for the topic." - School Library Journal