One Person, One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America

"Seabrook's excellent and cogent account of election boundary manipulation proves that political power knows few bounds and explains gerrymandering's history and effects and ways to combat it...Seabrook finds similar manipulations in England's rotten boroughs and describes how the Founding Fathers themselves were not averse to some boundary manipulation...Seabrook concludes that power lies with the people and explains how some states, led by California, are creating independent election district commissions to defeat political machinations...A timely and powerful book that should be read by everyone interested in preserving American democracy."

"We learn in fascinating and depressing detail from Nick Seabrook's wide-ranging history, One Person, One Vote, when politicians intentionally draw boundaries for partisan advantage, politicians pick their voters rather than voters picking politicians...Those who benefit from gerrymandering are determined not to lose their advantage...Even the Supreme Court has failed to address the harms of the practice...On three separate occasions, challenges to the most pervasive partisan gerrymanders of the 21st century have come before the Supreme Court, but reformers came away disappointed."

"One Person, One Vote argues that many of America's problems stem from one eternally timely issue...Gerrymandering involves the redrawing of congressional, state and local districts for political gain...It's done by both sides and has often been used to sideline minority representation, especially in the aftermath of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that removed obstacles that had long prevented Black people from voting in the South...Seabrook's title refers to a series of 1960s Supreme Court decisions that required every district to contain roughly the same number of people...But it's also an ironic title because the increasingly sophisticated process works around that requirement, stretching and squeezing districts to predetermine outcomes and making votes count for less and less...Seabrook makes clear that practical solutions exist but achievable ones are in short supply."

"If the answer is not much, well, that's what the career politicians already huddling behind the scenes with teams of redistricting professionals, attorneys, political scientists, and strategists are hoping for."

"Political scientist Seabrook delivers a sweeping study of gerrymandering, the process of manipulating the boundaries of political districts to ensure an election's outcome...Seabrook shows that the 'partisan manipulation' of electoral maps began well before the 1830s, when a salamander-shaped district drawn by Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry's Democratic-Republican Party was nicknamed the 'Gerrymander'...As a remedy, Seabrook urges readers to pressure their state legislatures to establish independent commissions and other nonpartisan redistricting procedures...Dense yet entertaining, this comprehensive survey is a worthy introduction to a high-stakes political issue."