The Big Vote: Gender, Consumer Culture, and the Politics of Exclusion, 1890s-1920s

This cultural history of voter turnout campaigns in early 20th century America sheds light on the problems that persist in democratic participation today.

In the 1920s, America experienced low voter turnout at a level not seen in nearly a century. Reformers responded by launching massive campaigns to "Get Out the Vote." Yet while these campaigns advocated civic participation, they also promoted an exclusionary message that transformed America's political culture. By the late 1920s, "civic" ...