POLI 4039 Chapter : Political Science 4039
Political Science 4039
Southern Politics
Political Culture
I. American Example- Emphasis on self, freedom instead of justice, its why national
healthcare came so late. Emphasis on material possessions of the self rather than of
the community. There isn’t as much “community property”. Alexis DeTorqueville
“Democracy in America” Was a French author writing about the political culture of
America. America is a country obsessed with freedom and liberty not justice or
equality
1. Causes
A.Immigration Patterns
B. Unlimited Resources
C. Isolated Geography
If you look at America you can understand why it’s the way it is. It was isolated from the rest
of the world. People didn’t need others because they were never threatened by each other or
an outside force. It’s also a land of incredible resources, so people had all they needed. If
they ran out of resources they just moved west. It can also be explained by who the nation
was settled by. They were willing to leave home, they had that pioneer spirit and some of
them were even criminals and once they arrived in America they dominated the Native
Americans and accepted the idea of slavery. A lot however has changed in the last century
2. Characteristics
A. “History Out on A Lark”
B. Obsession with freedom
3. Change
A. Civil War, various social movements
B. Two World Wars
C. 9/11
II. Louisiana Example
1. Causes
A. Ethnic Group Diversity- black and white have very real impacts on people and their
daily life. The racial construct exists in La as well.
• Southern European- French and distinctly Catholic. (Cajun) It is culturally
different than the rest of the southern Europeans in the south. They were much
more politically liberal on things like gambling and drinking age; the only place
in the harsh, prejudice deep south where African Americans were voting at higher
levels than across the rest of the deep south before the voting rights were
enforced. Cajun south LA was much more tolerant of race. This political culture
comprises about a third of the state
• People- three distinct highly conscious ethnic groups that don’t trust each other.
No one of these groups holds the majority.
• Northern European- Live mostly in north Louisiana. Very strong southern Dixie,
Southern white pride. The dominance of the white male, conservative
economically and socially, mostly Baptist. Less tolerant racially. Southerners
come from that Scotch Irish culture and is known as “cracker culture” which
comes from the Irish word “Craic” which essentially means bullshit. They like
their bullshit, just to sit around and talk.
• African American- highly conscious due to a past of ethnic discrimination. LA
has the second highest proportion of African Americans in the south second to
Mississippi. Here they are disproportionally urban, most of the American south is
rural and LA is urban compared to Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina.
Here they weren’t spread out because they lived in urban cities like New Orleans,
Baton Rouge and Shreveport. They were also more educated in LA than the rest
of the south. They also have a higher sense of efficacy (sense of political effect),
meaning they found themselves winning some political battles. Once they realized
they could have an effect and were a part of winning collations they were more
likely to participate. In the 80s, 90s African Americans were stronger here
politically than anywhere else.
B. Oil Resources/ Money- we had all this money and no dominant culture to decide how
to spend all of it; this led to a lot of volatility in the culture. Lot of money to reward
your friends and punish your enemies
C. Mississippi River Transience- N.O. was poised to become a huge city but sort of
chose not to become a New York, Chicago, Los Angeles sort of city
2. Characteristics
A. Volatile
3. Change
A. Increased Racial Polarization- race became more important as whites were challenged
by the Civil Rights Movement
B. Less oil money
C. Katrina movement/ Hispanic growth- After Katrina some whites didn’t come back
and a lot of Hispanics settled here.
D. Catholic change- Cajun south Louisiana was what made La a swing state, and they
use to not like the Republican party because they really identified with the poverty
programs that the Democratic party supported but with the emergence of abortion and
gay marriage the Republicans moved to the “family values” rebranded Republican
Party
***religious, relaxed, violent, hospitable, ignorant, racialized, close-minded, traditional, agrarian
(rural), family-oriented, conservative, unique food, sports obsessed, unique music, unique
language, drinkers***
Southern Political Culture
I Political characteristics- White southerners vote Republican, white southerners elect more
conservative representatives (even within the Republican Party; the more moderate
Republicans come from outside of the south, white southerners are more conservative on
most issues, black southerners are more conservative on some issues than their non-southern
counterparts. Race plays a huge role in deciding how people vote, whites more so identify
with the “white party” and blacks identify with the “black party.”
II. Social characteristics the whites are more violent and religious.
1. Immigration patterns-
A. White Populist Class
B. Celtic “cracker” culture- they descended from Scotland, Ireland and Wales and
were sheep herders because of the land. Immigration patterns show they were sent
south. These people were more violent because of their job and brought their
herding mentality with them. You hung out until you and your land were attacked
and then you retaliated with force.
C. Culture of Honor- a cultural orientation common among herding societies- it puts
a premium on defending your honor, especially among young males. They must
aggressively punish the people that have insulted them lest they look weak.
Women show indicators but are not necessarily more likely to participate. They
socialize their sons, but not their daughters, to be more aggressive when insulted.
2. African Americans
A. Accommodate, leave, rebel?- African Americans in the south are different from
AA outside of the south because they’ve had to put up with racial issues people
Document Summary
American example- emphasis on self, freedom instead of justice, its why national healthcare came so late. Emphasis on material possessions of the self rather than of the community. Democracy in america was a french author writing about the political culture of. America is a country obsessed with freedom and liberty not justice or equality: causes. If you look at america you can understand why it"s the way it is. It was isolated from the rest of the world. People didn"t need others because they were never threatened by each other or an outside force. It"s also a land of incredible resources, so people had all they needed. If they ran out of resources they just moved west. It can also be explained by who the nation was settled by. They were willing to leave home, they had that pioneer spirit and some of them were even criminals and once they arrived in america they dominated the native.
