The books provides a detailed analysis of the politics of racial redistricting, a topic of particular concern in light of recent federal court cases. Clayton's study examines the historical exclusion of blacks from the American political process and the politics behind congressional redistricting. Investigation of the politics behind redistricting, focusing on partisan maneuvering, assesses whose interests were being served. Then the book shifts focus to the myriad of legal battles that ensued as a result of the newly created districts in North Carolina and around the South.