Book Review: The Vanishing Voter: Public Involvement in an Age of Uncertainty

Abstract

Thomas E. Patterson’s The Vanishing Voter (2002) is the culmination of a large-scale Vanishing Voter Project, a study involving nearly 100,000 Americans conducted during the 2000 presidential campaign. Patterson, then at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center, examines the paradox of declining voter turnout amid increased education, easier registration, and expanded enfranchisement. His findings spotlight shifts in party strength, media dynamics, and electoral structure as key drivers behind voter disengagement. He also proposes pragmatic reforms to reverse this trend