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It’s
been an incredible election this year. The level of
engagement and excitement about the candidates and the
process has rarely been more intense in modern times.
See how this election stacks up against past elections
by perusing the fantastic (and fantastically reliable)
resources available at the Library.
Historical
electoral and convention resources online:
- Past
Convention Coverage: A History of Political Conventions.
New York Times convention coverage from 1896 to 1996.
-
Voting
America: United States Politics 1840-2008.
Developed by the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University
of Richmond, this site has a series of maps that combine
political data with GIS cartography in order to create
animated maps of how Americans voted in presidential
elections for the past 164 years. The interactive
maps visualize voting patterns in relation to voter
turnout, population, popular votes versus electoral
votes, party strength and more.
-
American
National Election Studies. ANES provides
high-quality data on voting, public opinion and political
participation. The date is intended for social scientists,
teachers, students and policy makers who want to understand
the foundations of mass politics in a democratic society.
-
The
Electoral College (.PDF). A 20-page essay
on Electoral College history from the Federal Election
Commission.
Historical electoral and convention resources
in print:
- The
Geography of Presidential Elections in the United
States, 1868-2004 (JK524 .M48 2005 Tacoma
Library Stacks). This title, by author Albert J. Menendez,
examines the persistence of regional voting patterns
in U.S. presidential elections from the post-Civil
War era to the present.
-
Historical Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections:
1788-2004 (G1201.F9 H5 2006 Tacoma Reference).
This reference book maps election outcomes for all
counties in every presidential election through 2004
and provides additional data allowing for analysis
of electoral patterns.
-
Guide to U.S. Elections, 5th ed. Congressional
Quarterly Press (JK1967.C663 2005 Tacoma
Reference). Contains information about U.S. elections
and the electoral process, including in-depth analysis
of presidential, congressional and gubernatorial elections
through 2004.
Historic
Presidential campaign ads
Historic
Newspapers
Tip
of the month
Whether it’s elections or other issues, our past
informs our future. Come by the library and check out
a few of our amazing historical resources that can help
you shape the future wisely. Have a question or need
some research assistance, historical or other? Check
out the hours and e-mails of all library staff.
With
contributions by reference docent Nathan Ketzner
Carole
Svensson is the assistant director of the UW Tacoma
Library. Got an idea for a book to feature in Book Dirt?
E-mail Carole at svensson@u.washington.edu.
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