High-Tech Grass Roots

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.