The strong partisanship that pervaded nineteenth-century politics disappeared after 1900, and political campaigns evolved from intricately organized spectacles with great mass appeal into more sedate media contests limited to the candidates. Reynolds expands on the theory that election reform laws introduced during the Progressive Era account for these changes and weighs the effects of these laws against the new notions of governance and the emergence of mass communications. Originally published in 1988. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.