3/21 Tuesday

Government and Politics in the South: History and

Political Culture
the south is a special place
o lost a war, suffered hardship that gives the past
great importance
o historical circumstances left it a minority culture
o claim of regional uniqueness lie in its ethical ideals,
battle for survival in opposition to the majority
culture
From the beginning the South was different
o 4 distinctions defined south distinguishing it from
rest of country
1. Early south differed from northern in
motivation for settlement
2. Social role and daily practice of religion
3, frontier experience was another
distinguishing factor
4, north and south had different political views
on the form the postrevolutionary
American government should take
Succession, Civil War, Reconstruction
o Antebellum yearseconomic reliance on slavery
was at heart of this difference, dictated virtues,
interests, ambitions of area that would require
defense against northern interference
o Agrarian values of South rooted or based on the
institution fo slavery clashed with egalitarian of
west and protectionism of north
o Slavery could not be separated from economics or
from social structure in south; as such
social/political structure was fortified to support the
institution of slavery
o Road to successionpaved with another distinction
between north and south: social class
o Special role of women
In homelife in south between 1830-50cult of
chivalry for white women became expression of
southern romanticism
o Defeat of South in Civil War
Left the south poor, failed, frustrated
Military defeat followed by economic collapse,
social dismemberment, ostracizing
While the north was successful, prosperous
Period of reconstruction after civil warnew set
of values came to regionj
o 1876 Presidential Election
Rutherford Hayes elected as president
Hayes was republican candidate, Tilden was
democratic candidate
By margin of 1 electoral college vote
o End of Reconstruction
Return of white supremacy
 Absolute elimination of blacks from anything
that hinted at equality
Expansion of terrorist activities like KKK
The Promise of the New South at the dawn of the century
o new south era inaugurated 20th century
o belief that states of old south would shed agrarian
past and embrace new urban future
Great Depression in the South
o Evaporated the myth of a new south
o By 1930 most farmers had no land
The New Deal in the South
o 1932-1940 of FDR
o landmark effort to help poorl, particularly rural
nations #1
Postwar Affluence in South
o Cold war was good for the south
The New South
o Industrialists moved to south result of regulation
and taxes

Tuesday 4/11

The Rise of Party Competition in the South

dominance of one party system in south after mid 20 th c
belies existence of partisanship and conflict
 because of one party system opportunities to win
important offices were rare
after reconstruction
o disenfranchisement from pol participation of blacks
and many white have nots decimated repub and
populist parties in south
November elections were empty rituals
o Whoever won democratic primary was going to win
general election
o 1952: abysmal rate of participation by citizens of
southern states
realignment
o did not happen overnight 30 years or more in
development
Key presidential elections: important to realignment and
voting behavior in south; rise of two party competition
o 1948
Truman had become president after FDR,
democrat up for election
Opposed by credible republican candidate: Tom
Dewey
Southern democrats bolted from national
democratic party and supported Strom
Thurman Dixiecrat
o 1952
solid south (democratic) is cracking
one party domination was still general rule by
mid 20th century
 o 1968
Nixon the republican won
Humphrey was dem nominee
George Wallace ran as independent
5 southern states voted for Wallace
o 1972 nixon had even greater landslide victory
every southern state voted for republican
o after 1968 election repub party as a whole pursued
nixons southerns tategy with rhetoric away from
traditional dem allegiance
Jimmy Carter
o Dem, after Watergate scandal
o 1976 Presidential Election: wins every southern
state except VA
o helped win back the solid democratic south
o his support was undermined by decisions made
during administration-so 4 years later they are
disappointed with him
o 1980 election: loses every southern state except GA
1980s
o democratic monopolization of southern politics had
ended
o republicans were vigorously able to contest most
major elections
Reagan
o Since 1980 the south has given republicans roughly
half of electoral votes needed to win presidency
 Blue dog democrats
o There were still dems in the southpockets of them
o A number of them in congress banded together
under this caucus
o Conservative democrats, was a formal caucus for
them
Clinton presidency
o Became pol graveyard for dem party in southgay
rights, healthcare
Trickle down of repub victories
o Slower in state houses and senates
o However realignment occurred at stte legislative
level too in most southern states
In decades leading up to civil war south was becoming pol.
Outcast bc of slavery issue
o 100 years therafter country was unwilling to elect
on as president of US