The American Nonvoter

The American Nonvoter examines how uncertainty regarding the national context influences people's decisions whether to vote or not. During times of national crisis, when uncertainty is high, voting increases; during times of stability people stay home. Using rigorous statistical tools and rich historical stories, Lyn Ragsdale and Jerrold G. Rusk show how uncertainty in the national campaign context reduces nonvoting in presidential and midterm elections from 1920 to 2012.