The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics

(Hardback)

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The results of the 1988 elections affirmed the strength of the Republican party in the South on both the Presidential and statewide levels. This decisive victory and its ramifications throughout the region are the focus of this volume which seeks to illuminate the important events relevant to the 1988 elections in the South and identify the resulting trends in political activity which will characterize future developments. Special attention is given to the presidential election, the elements which determined its outcome and its effect upon the national strength of both parties, but the significance of lower level contests are also considered. The text is arranged to provide both a Southwide analysis and a state-by-state review. Regional studies outline the political history relevant to the 1988 elections, and follow the concurrent nomination races. Each state chapter furnishes information which highlights the unique political complexion of the state being discussed and also shows how its character fits into the overall picture of a constantly changing Southern political profile. By presenting both an overview of the South as a political entity and a close-up study of the variety of its constituents, this volume proves a valuable addition to the literature which projects the future of Southern politics.

Reviews

The American South's journey from Democratic to Republican in presidential elections has been one of the major political transformations in the second half of the 20th century. This volume does an excellent job of analyzing the latest step--the 1988 contest. Eleven Southern states (Texas to Virginia, Tennessee to Florida) each receive chapter-length discussions written by political scientists familiar with the local territory. The accounts are uniformly well done, empirically rooted, and sensitive to each state's political culture. In addition, the 1988 nomination experiment in the South ("Super Tuesday") and the Reagan legacy receive chapter-length treatments. Capping it all is a superb essay by the brothers Black (Earl and Merle), authors of the highly insightful Politics and Society in the South. The editors, three members of the Citadel faculty, are to be congratulated for assembling such a talented set of analysts. For readers at all levels.-Choice
"The American South's journey from Democratic to Republican in presidential elections has been one of the major political transformations in the second half of the 20th century. This volume does an excellent job of analyzing the latest step--the 1988 contest. Eleven Southern states (Texas to Virginia, Tennessee to Florida) each receive chapter-length discussions written by political scientists familiar with the local territory. The accounts are uniformly well done, empirically rooted, and sensitive to each state's political culture. In addition, the 1988 nomination experiment in the South ("Super Tuesday") and the Reagan legacy receive chapter-length treatments. Capping it all is a superb essay by the brothers Black (Earl and Merle), authors of the highly insightful Politics and Society in the South. The editors, three members of the Citadel faculty, are to be congratulated for assembling such a talented set of analysts. For readers at all levels."-Choice

Author Bio

LAURENCE W. MORELAND is Professor of Political Science at The Citadel. The editors have previously colloborated on The 1984 Presidential Election in the South (Praeger, 1986). Professor Moreland also co-edited (with Tod A. Baker, Robert P. Steed, and Charles D. Hadley) Political Parties in the Southern States: Party Activists in Partisan Coalitions (Praeger, 1990). ROBERT P. STEED is Professor of Political Science at The Citadel. He has coedited seven books dealing with southern politics, including The Disappearing South Studies in Regional Change and Continuity and The Transformation of Southern Party Coalitions. TOD A. BAKER is Professor of Political Science at The Citadel. He has been involved in the development of a number of professional papers and publications in the areas of urban politics, southern politics, and party activists, and has coedited seven books on various aspects of southern politics.