Running on the Record: Civil War-Era Politics in New Hampshire by Lex Renda. (University Press of Virginia, 1997.)In honor of Election Day I chose this volume which looks at the connections between voters' judgements and public policy in New Hampshire during a time when elections were entertainment and party loyalties were young and vigorous.
"In an age when organized forms of entertainment were scarce, politics was an exhilarating experience, marked by parades, gambling, shouting, and bravado. People flocked to the polls on election day. Observers could easily distinguish
the ballots of each party, and voters cast them in a manner which exclaimed their loyalties. People eagerly awaited election results, even for days on end. The nineteenth century often seems a golden age of politics when elections were exciting, voters participated in droves, party loyalties were entrenched, and 'independent' voters were scorned. "
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