The people's lobby Book

This is exactly the kind of political history I truly enjoy. McGerr's "The Decline of Popular Politics" traces the evolution of political "style" in America from about 1860 through the Great Depression. He outlines three overlapping phases: the spectacular, from the early 19th century through the Civil War; educational, from about the 1870s through the 1890s; and advertising, from the 1900s through today. His book emphasizes the relationship between party apparatuses, the press, and individual voters. While there is some information about electoral outcomes, party positions, etc., the bulk of this book emphasizes how the look and feel of political campaigns changed in the late 19th century.

McGerr traces the changes to political campaigns to class anxiety and a changing economic status. There is not a great deal of discussion in this book about race or gender. Women's suffrage is hardly discussed and the participation of black men is left only occasionally mentioned. These issues are outside the scope of his book, but a more complete account of the changing style of politics should account for the expanded electorate that political parties courted in the early 20th century.

Finally, McGerr suggests that spectacular politics were better able to "spin off" third parties. Men and women raised in rural meetings, pole raisings, and other forms of pre-'educational' politics learned a series of organizing strategies along with party identity. With the consolidation of party power in educational and literature offices or, later, advertising/PR departments, average voters were shut out of the party mechanisms that allow for new organizations.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in media, politics, and political organizing. It is a quick, easy read that includes a great deal of interesting information.