What made politics in the gilded age so extremely popular—with over 80 percent voter participation—yet so often corrupt and unconcerned with important national issues?

During the Gilded age, the large number of population were living in poverty, which lead them to band together in order to obtain government support, which cause the 80 percent voter participation.
The corrupt national issues are caused by mant of the government officials actually controlled by the private sectors, which limit the to only make the regulations which only benefit a certain amount of people

A. flexibility in religious services