Political Realignment in the South

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Political Realignment in the South

• The Significance of
• States Rights and Civil Rights
• In Shattering the Democrats
• Solid South

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The Politics of the Old South

• The pre-Civil War period and Slavery
• South-North Polarization
• The post-Reconstruction South Democratic
  Dominance 1880-1920
• Racism of Southern Democratic Party
• Voting Restrictions and Corrupt Elections

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The Solid Democratic South

• V.O. Key
• Southern Politics In State and Nation (1949)
• FDR and the New Deal 1932-1944
• The Democratic Party
  States Rights/Civil Rights Dispute
• 1948 Election out of the shadow of states
  rights?

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1948 Revolt

• Dixiecrat (States Rights) Party Thurmond-Wright
  ticket
• Deep South Loyalty MS 87, AL 80, SC 72,
  LA 49
• Effect of 48 Three trends in Presidential
  Voting
• 1952 Revival Stevenson-Sparkman

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Democrats and Civil Rights

• The National Party embraces Civil Rights movement
  1950s and 1960s
• Kennedy administration and King
• President Lyndon Baines Johnson Champion for
  Federal Desegregation

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1964

• The Civil Rights Act
• Barry Goldwater and States Rights
• Southern Response MS, AL, SC, LA, GA vote
  Republican
• Solid South broken over Race issues

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Party identification in the South, 1952-1984

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1968

• Southern Revolt against Great Society
• Wallace and the American Independent Party
• Humphrey 31 of Southern Vote

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The South after 1968

• Since 1972, South voted for Republicans in most
  Presidential elections
• 1976 Election
• Clinton-Gore 1992 and 1996
• Split-level Realignment
  Kevin Phillips (1969)

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The Current Southern Electorate

• Democratic Party limited to some local successes
• Dealignment 1952-1964 Elections
• Realignment 1968-1980 Elections
• Racial Divide in Presidential Voting
• Democrats Solid South is now Republicans Key
  to Victory

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