This project will provide a new, comprehensive political data base for studying the formative years of the American democratic experiment, 1788-1824. During this period voter turnout underwent the greatest increase in American history expanding from less than one third of the adult white males to more than half, and in some states three fourths, of all adult white male inhabitants. The data base will consist of machine readable county-level data for the southern and western states and town-level data for New England and some Middle Atlantic states. Both candidate name and party name indices will be developed for all major races. The project will generate turnout figures as well as the degree of competition and consistency of party voting across all major political offices. These election statistics will be linked to available census data to provide a better understanding of early national party cleavages.
