In the 1950s and 1960s, did straight ticket voting decline or increase?

During the 1950s and 1960s, straight ticket voting, where voters choose candidates from the same political party for all offices on the ballot, experienced a decline. This decline can be attributed to various factors, including increasing voter sophistication and the growing emphasis on individual candidates and specific issues rather than party loyalty. As political awareness rose, voters began to assess candidates based on their qualifications and policy positions rather than solely their party affiliation.

Additionally, the dynamics of political parties shifted during this period, particularly with civil rights movements leading to changes in party platforms and voter alignments. This era also witnessed an expansion of media that provided more information about candidates beyond their party labels, further contributing to the decline in straight ticket voting.

Overall, these historical and cultural shifts led to a more nuanced voting behavior, making it more common for voters to mix their selections from different parties. Thus, the trend observed in the 1950s and 1960s was a decline in straight ticket voting.