The Southern Strategy Revisited: Republican Top-Down Advancement in the South / Edition 1

by Joseph A. Aistrup

Overview

The 1994 elections represented a watershed year for southern Republicans. For the first time since Reconstruction, they gained control of a majority of national seats and governorships. Yet, despite these impressive gains, southern Republicans control only three of twenty-two state legislative chambers and 37 percent of state legislative seats. Joseph A. Aistrup addresses why this divergence between the national and subnational levels persists even after GOP national landslides in 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1994.

Explanations for this divergence lie in the interaction between the Republicans' "Southern Strategy" -a set of coherent ideological tactics designed to lure southern whites to support GOP candidates-and the Republicans' top-down party development efforts. Aistrup analyzes the historical evolution of the Republican Southern Strategy from Goldwater in 1961 to the "Contract with America" in 1994. Examining the roles of ideology, intra party politics, gerrymandering, and Democratic incumbency in Republican top-down advancement, he predicts the extent to which these will remain significant obstacles to GOP success in subnational elections after 1994.

Aistrup reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the Southern Strategy as it relates to candidate ideology and examines the influences of Republican victories in national and statewide offices on the party's subnational advancement. He shows a clear connection between Republican presidential success and southern Republican advancement in local elections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813119045
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	01/11/1996
Series:	In the 1990s
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.06(d)
Lexile:	1440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Joseph A. Aistrup is assistant professor at Fort Hays State University and assistant director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs.

Editorial Reviews

Explores various strengths and weaknesses of the national Republican party's Southern Strategy and convincingly demonstrates a connection between Republican presidential success and Republican subnational advancement in the South.

Southern Humanities Review

Argues convincingly that the southern strategy and top-down advancement are initiatives firmly grounded in racial politics.... An excellent book.

Perspectives on Political Science

"Explores various strengths and weaknesses of the national Republican party's Southern Strategy and convincingly demonstrates a connection between Republican presidential success and Republican subnational advancement in the South." — Southern Humanities Review

"Argues convincingly that the southern strategy and top-down advancement are initiatives firmly grounded in racial politics.... An excellent book." — Perspectives on Political Science

From the Publisher

Aistrup (assistant director, Docking Institute of Public Affairs) looks at why a Republican majority exists in national seats and governorships but not at a subnational level, examining the Republicans' "Southern Strategy" and their top-down party development efforts. He details the historical evolution of the Republican strategy from 1961 through 1994, and analyzes significant obstacles to GOP success in subnational elections after 1994. For general readers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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