No other institution better mirrors the division of American political power than the congressional districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. Understanding the makeup of districts is essential to understanding national politics and power in Washington.

CQ Press continues its thirty-year history of illuminating the often-hidden mystery of congressional districts in the long-awaited Congressional Districts in the 2000s: A Portrait of America.

Each decade a new national census requires reapportionment changes in the number of seats per state in the House and redistricting redrawing the boundaries for each district in a state. The outcome of this decennial exercise controls the division of power between the parties.

Congressional Districts in the 2000s looks at the process and the results in fine detail. Each of the 435 districts that comprise the full House is examined to show demographic composition, economic status, business operations, media, and more. No other single source provides such a full portrait of each state's districts, and thereby the entire nation.

The book is your one-stop source for the right information. Here's what you will find:

• Each state as a self-contained chapter.


• Profiles of each district in a state, including:

• Text description of the district, key election returns and population figures
• Cities and counties in the district and their populations
• Demographic data such as race and Hispanic origin
• Universities and colleges, newspapers, television and cable providers
• Business and other major employers.

• The 2000 presidential vote reconfigured to fit the new districts, giving a measure of Republican/Democrat strength in the new districts.


• A state map showing the congressional district lines, county lines, and major cities. Urban maps are included for states with large cities and metropolitan areas.


• Summary demographic tables from census data for each district showing:

• voting-age persons by race and age groups
• Population, education, housing patterns, income and occupation.

All of the array of information is quickly accessible through a group of indexes for each major component in the book.

Congressional Districts in the 2000s is the authoritative one-stop source of information about the new congressional districts that will be in place for the next decade. Students, scholars, teachers, lobbyists, journalists, interested citizens, and politicians across the ideological spectrum will consult this volume time and again for vital information.