Exhibit Introduction
Every four
years Americans go to the polls to elect their President. The campaign
for President is steeped in tradition, combining ritual, celebration,
marketing and bombast, all leading up to Election Day when citizens
enter the voting booth to exercise their solemn right to choose their
leaders. The President and Vice President are the only officials chosen
by all the nation's voters. The stakes are high, and the election results
shape the course of the nation for the next four years.
This
exhibition examines Presidential elections, with a particular emphasis
on elections in the last 80 years when radio and television brought
these campaigns into the living rooms of homes across America. Text,
photographs, graphic images, original artifacts and campaign memorabilia,
as well as audio and video stations will be featured in the exhibition.
In addition, a series of activity areas will invite visitors to participate
in election activities such as mock voting and campaigning.
The
exhibition will be organized in a series of theme areas that survey
aspects of Presidential campaigns and elections over the years. The
exhibition will open September 25, 2004, during the height of the year's
Presidential campaign. It will run through the general election and
the Inauguration. It will close just after President's Day on February
21, 2005.
This
exhibition is partially funded by the AFL-CIO.