High-Tech Grass Roots: The Professionalization of Local Elections (Campaigning American Style)

Election campaigns in small and mid-sized electoral districts have been run from the grass roots from the beginning of the republic. Yard signs, door-to-door canvassing, and soap-box oratory have characterized state and local elections for years, and many predict their persistence into the 21st century. This book looks at new trends in small-town politics, tracking the infiltration of sophisticated communications technology, the use of political consultants, and the increase in fundraising and campaign expenditures. Original surveys, interviews, and in-depth case studies lead the author to conclude that the new tactics are with us to stay, but that their potentially negative effects-rising campaign budgets and diminished citizen participation-may be mitigated by creative approaches to reform.

J. Cherie Strachan is assistant professor of communication at the University of Albany.