Farmers in Politics

Abstract

The farm vote is an independent one. Although there are many farm organizations—The American Farm Bu reau Federation, The National Farmers Union, The National Grange, many different commodity groups, and co-operative or ganizations—and a farmer might belong to one or more groups, nevertheless his political inclination remains an individual de cision. Although the farm population is shrinking signifi cantly, the farm vote has determined a national election as re cently as 1948, and with skillful dramatization, it can quite easily determine the results of Congressional elections—the question of price support was a significant factor in the 1954 Congressional elections. In the 1952 Presidential campaign, even though the election did not hinge on the farm vote, both parties tried to woo it. And, after the election, both the Demo cratic and Republican party established a farm division. With the aid of appeals to consumers as against producers, there is reason to believe that something which might be called "the food vote" may determine the next Presidential election, if not subsequent ones.