【正文】
low voter turnout, even for major elections. A historical analysis of changes in voter turnout can help us begin to understand the problem we face today. What were turnouts in the past? When did the decline set in? Once we determine when the trend began, we can try to identify which of the factors present at the time bined to set the trend in motion. A purely contemporary analysis may shed some light on the problem, but a historical assessment is clearly fundamental— and essential for anyone concerned about American political health today. Studying history underlies many specific and quite diverse uses of history in our own lives. History well told is beautiful. Biography and military history appeal in part because of the tales they contain. History as art and en