American Campaign Mobilization in the Age of New Media

Electoral campaigns are a fundamental yet often criticized part of the political process in modern democracies. Campaigns provide opportunity for candidates and parties to spell out their positions and, conversely, for voters to compare the competitors for public office. Precisely because of those crucial functions, political campaigning has been a recurring focus of criticism and reform efforts. This lecture series, drawing on the experiences of the United States and Germany, will explore the history of campaigning techniques and efforts to mobilize voters. What was the impact of changing media technologies in effecting the turn-out? What role did campaign financing play in shaping the active electorate? As the franchise expanded, how were new groups of voters courted and what impact did they have on campaign strategies?

Supplementing the lecture series, a small exhibition titled "Moving Images: Two Centuries of Campaign Posters in the United States and Germany" will be on view at the GHI for the duration of the series.