Explaining recent changes in the partisan identifications of southern whites

    Authors

    J. Knuckey

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Polit. Res. Q.

    Keywords

    RACIAL-ATTITUDES; PRESIDENTIAL-ELECTION; CLASS POLARIZATION; AMERICAN; POLITICS; SYMBOLIC RACISM; PARTY SYSTEM; REALIGNMENT; PERSPECTIVE; BEHAVIOR; ELECTORATE; Political Science

    Abstract

    Scholars of southern partisan change have been reluctant to proclaim a realignment among southern whites. Despite a Republican advantage in presidential elections, a Democratic advantage continued to persist in party identifications. However, in the 1990s a Republican advantage in party identifications emerged, one that has persisted throughout the decade. Indeed in 2000 a majority of southern whites held Republican party identifications, while only one in three southern whites held Democratic identifications. This article examines the causes of the changing party identifications of southern whites in the 1990s and focuses on four explanations that have been discussed by scholars: the role of racial attitudes, social class polarization, social and cultural attitudes and general ideological realignment. Using a multivariate analysis, the study finds that national forces, specifically an ideological realignment and class-status polarization played some role in producing changes in partisanship of southern whites. However, regional differences between the South and the rest of the nation remained evident, with racial attitudes and views on abortion exerting significant effects on party identifications in the 1990s. The findings suggest that the Republican advantage in party identifications that emerged in the 1990s is durable and, if anything, is likely to increase in future years.

    Journal Title

    Political Research Quarterly

    Volume

    59

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2006

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    57

    Last Page

    70

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000238216300006

    ISSN

    1065-9129

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