DOCSLIB.ORG

The Virginia News Letter

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Virginia News Letter VOL. 59 NO.5 NEWS LETTER University of Virginia • Institute ofGovernment JANUARY 1983 THE 1982 ELECTION FOR U.S. SENATOR IN VIRGINIA By Larry Sabato Virginia and American politics. (Byrd and interested in the nomination; these included Mr. Sabato is assistant professor ofgovernment at the his father had continuously held the Senate former Attorney General Andrew P. Miller, University of Virginia. This News Letter is excerpted seat for nearly fifty years.) Byrd's decision to Senate Majority Leader Hunter B. Andrews, from a chapter in the forthcoming Virginiq Votes 1979­ 1982, to be published by the Institute ofGovernment in retire served to reinforce the new era of two­ and Delegate Owen Pickett of Virginia the spring of1983. Allfootnotes in that chapter have been party competition that had begun more than Beach (the state party chairman). In order to deleted here, because ofspace limitations. a decade earlier, and it set off a flurry of reduce fratricide and give the eventual activity in both parties. Democratic nominee a headstart equal to Among Republicans, First District U.S. that of the unopposed Trible, Democratic Representative Paul Trible, who had made leaders, including Governor Charles Robb, The results of the November 1982 no secret ofhis senatorial ambitions since his initiated a series of meetings and informal elections in Virginia gave both major first days in the House of Representatives, surveys that involved the potential candi­ political parties reason to rejoice. The and who had been campaigning for the dates, the key party officials, and others, all Republicans gained a U.S. Senate berth and nomination for over a year in case Byrd designed to arrive as a consensus choice for the Democrats won three U.S. House seats. retired, immediately became the GOP front­ the Democratic nomination. Eventually, the But the clearest message of the Old Domin­ runner. Despite grumblings from many in consensus formed around Pickett, and the ion's elections in 1982 was that Virginia, in the party that Trible was too young and too other potential candidates dutifully with­ its elections at the state and congressional ambitious, senior Republicans like former drew from consideration. district levels, had become one of the most Governor John N. Dalton, U.S. Representa­ As the Democratic party repeatedly has competitive two-party states in the nation­ tive Stanford E. Parris, and former Delegate proven, its coalition is tenuous and fragile. a state where close elections are now Wyatt Durrette declined to challenge Trible; In this case, Pickett in his campaign kick-off commonplace, where reversals of power are and so Trible received his party's nod by reverently invoked, without qualifiers, the frequent, and where neither party can take acclamation in a June convention. name of Harry F. Byrd, Jr. Tha~, coupled any election for granted, even those featur­ The Democratic story was more compli­ with the failure of several black-sponsored ing incumbents. At the same time, the GOP's cated. A number of major Democrats were bills in the recent legislative session, was victory in the statewide U.S. Senate contest, while narrow, suggests that this two-party competitiveness still has a Republican tinge; THE 200th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION when all campaign advantages and disad­ In 1987 Virginia and the nation will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the United vantages are relatively equal or balanced, the States Constitution; the final page of this News Letter discusses some of the special state's electorate will lean to the GOP's significance that this commemoration holds for citizens of the Commonwealth. nominee. This News Letter reviews the 1982 Governor Charles S. Robb has designated A.E. Dick Howard, Counselor to the election for U.S. senator in Virginia, Governor, as the member of the governor's staff responsible for offering encouragement examining the voting results that gave the and support to groups and institutions planning activities during this Decade of the victory to Republican candidate Paul Trible Constitution. Professor Howard, .who was the chief architect of Virginia's current and analyzing the major campaign issues constitution, has written extensively about constitutional law and history. that contributed to Trible's win. Governor Robb has also designated the Institute of Government at the University of Virginia to offer staff assistance and to be responsible for actual coordination of, and THE PARTY PRELIMINARIES assistance to, groups and institutions as they undertake plans for events marking aspects The unpredictable twists and turns that of the constitutional decade. Under the aegis ofthe Institute, an ad hoc steering committee have come to characterize Virginia politics has met several times to share information on activities being planned around the since the demise of the Byrd Organization Commonwealth. Timothy G. O'Rourke, a research associate and assistant professor at were much evident in the winter and spring the Institute, is specifically responsible for overseeing the Institute's role of information of 1982. Ironically, the son of the machine's gathering and sharing and of assistance to those wishing it. longtime boss was primarily responsible for Individuals or groups desiring further information are invited to contact either Mr. the tumult. In late ovember 1981 Harry F. Howard (address: Office of the Governor, Richmond, Virginia 23219) or Mr. O'Rourke Byrd, Jr. unexpectedly announced his (address: Institute of Government, 207 Minor Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottes­ retirement from the U.S. Senate, thereby ville, Virginia 22903). ending a remarkable era in the annals ofboth 18 enough to send black state Senator L. THE GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS the Roanoke Sixth, and the Piedmont Douglas Wilder into the fray. Wilder Seventh) by substantial, though not over­ declared Pickett unacceptable and threa­ After an acrimonious general election whelming, margins. Trible's Fifth District tened to run as an independent in the general campaign, Republicans elected a senator in majority of 52.9 percent was unusually low, election, thereby drawing crucial black votes November, and Trible narrowly defeated perhaps reflecting the success of an earlier away from the Democratic candidate and Davis by 724,571 votes to 690,839 votes, or a black voter registration drive there that almost certainly resulting in the election of margin of51.2 percent to 48.8 percent. Trible helped to produce a large, heavily Demo­ the Republican nominee. Mediation efforts carried fifty-eight ofninety-five counties and cratic black vote on election day. by Governor Robb failed and, in the end, nineteen of forty-one cities in fashioning his Even while losing, Davis won five of the Wilder's threat and the coincident failure of statewide victory. state's ten congressional districts: the the low-key Pickett to excite the party forced Geographically, the key to Trible's elec­ Norfolk-Virginia Beach Second, the Tide­ Pickett to withdraw in early May. Inciden­ tion was his home congressional district, the water Fourth, the Southwest Ninth, and the tally, at the time of his withdrawal, Pickett First, which includes Newport News, Hamp­ Northern Virginia Eighth and Tenth dis­ already had secured a pledged majority of ton, the Northern Neck area, and the Eastern tricts. In the Second, Eighth, and Tenth the Democratic convention delegates (the Shore counties. Normally a marginally districts, however, Davis's pluralities were mass meetings having already been held), Democratic area, the First District, with a well below expectations, p imarily due to and therefore was the neminee-presumptive. high turnout, generated a plurality of 28,375 disappointing showinKs in the suburban He is thus one of the few candidates in any votes for its favorite son. Since a strong localities of Fairfax County and the City of American state ever voluntarily to have Democratic candidate usually can count on Virginia Beach. (Davis lost the latter by a turned down a cert~in U.S. Senate nomina­ a First District plurality of at least 10,000­ shattering 10,000-vote margin, perhaps tion for a reason' other than scandal or 12,000 votes, Trible's margin in the First reflecting in part a residue of bitterness personal illness. represented a net gain for Republicans of about the Democrats' treatment of native Wilder withdrew the day after Pickett's almost 40,000 votes-more than Trible's son Owen Pickett .earlier in the year.) The withdrawal, and Democrats began a mad statewide plurality of approximately 35,000 Ninth District also proved to be a substantial scramble to find a standard-bearer. Candi­ votes. disappointment to Davis; his narrow 52 dates tested the waters, took the plunge, and Besides the First District, Trible also percent majority was surprisingly small in a then retreated to the beach with dizzying carried four normally Republican districts Democratic-leaning area with substantial speed. Party leaders overwhelmingly fa­ (the Richmond Third, the Southside Fifth, unemployment. vored Lieutenant Governor Richard J. Davis as a proven vote-getter and the 1981 ticket-leader. Yet 'Davis, fearing that a Table 1. The Urban Vote in the 1982 Virginia General Election for U.S. Senator sufficient campaign war chest could not be raised, took his name out of consideration. Percent of Percent of Votes Cast for Another potentially strong contender, state Urban Measure Total Vote Davis (D) Trible (R) Senate Majority Leader Hunter B. Andrews, 49.5 50.5 also became discouraged and renounced a Urban Corridor a 58.1 possible candidacy. Standard Metropolitan Other more willing contenders did sur­ Statistical Areas b 64.9 49.2 50.8 face, most of them with regionally concen­ Central Cities 18.0 60.4 39.6 trated followings. These included liberal Suburbs 46.9 44.9 55.1 former U.S. Representative Joseph L. Fisher 31.8 48.1 51.9 of Arlington, the Secretary of Human Rural Areas c Resources in the Robb administration's cabinet; moderate Fairfax Count Com­ SOU CE: COlllpiled from official election results provided by the State Board of monwealth's Attorney Robert Horan; and Elections.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Toward a More Democratic Congress?
    TOWARD A MORE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS? OUR IMPERFECT DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION: THE CRITICS EXAMINED STEPHEN MACEDO* INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 609 I. SENATE MALAPPORTIONMENT AND POLITICAL EQUALITY................. 611 II. IN DEFENSE OF THE SENATE................................................................ 618 III. CONSENT AS A DEMOCRATIC VIRTUE ................................................. 620 IV. REDISTRICTING AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE REFORM? ................ 620 V. THE PROBLEM OF GRIDLOCK, MINORITY VETOES, AND STATUS- QUO BIAS: UNCLOGGING THE CHANNELS OF POLITICAL CHANGE?.... 622 CONCLUSION................................................................................................... 627 INTRODUCTION There is much to admire in the work of those recent scholars of constitutional reform – including Sanford Levinson, Larry Sabato, and prior to them, Robert Dahl – who propose to reinvigorate our democracy by “correcting” and “revitalizing” our Constitution. They are right to warn that “Constitution worship” should not supplant critical thinking and sober assessment. There is no doubt that our 220-year-old founding charter – itself the product of compromise and consensus, and not only scholarly musing – could be improved upon. Dahl points out that in 1787, “[h]istory had produced no truly relevant models of representative government on the scale the United States had already attained, not to mention the scale it would reach in years to come.”1 Political science has since progressed; as Dahl also observes, none of us “would hire an electrician equipped only with Franklin’s knowledge to do our wiring.”2 But our political plumbing is just as archaic. I, too, have participated in efforts to assess the state of our democracy, and co-authored a work that offers recommendations, some of which overlap with * Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values; Director of the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University.
    [Show full text]
  • Why the People Are So Damn Angry New Economic Realities Putting the ‘American Dream’ out of Reach of the Middle Class by BRIAN A
    V21, 39 Thursday, June 9, 2016 Why the people are so damn angry New economic realities putting the ‘American Dream’ out of reach of the middle class By BRIAN A. HOWEY MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Ameri- cans and Hoosiers are angry. They are seeking political retribution. They are finding Republican presidential nomi- nee Donald Trump as the answer. But the critical question that has remained largely unanswered is why? Why are We the People so pissed off? Appearing at two events in Angry Donald Trump supporters confront U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in Marion on the eve of the Elkhart last week, President Barack Indiana primary on May 2 Obama laid out the template for the doesn’t always yield the wisest decision making. sizzling anger that is fueling one of the most unpredict- At the Lerner Theater in Elkhart, PBS moderator able political climates in modern times. And Prof. Robert J. Gwen Ifill listened as Obama made what Howey Politics In- Gordon of Northwestern University, a macroeconomist and diana called an “economic victory lap,” where the president economic historian, supplies an array of data that helps reminded the Republican-dominated county that the 20% understand why the political decisions of 2016 are almost Continued on page 4 certainly being framed in the context of an emotion which Party of Lincoln stained By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – On May 17, 1860, the Repub- lican convention campaign team of native son Abraham Lincoln met with the Indiana and Pennsylvania delega- tions in Chicago. What emerged hours later was that the Hoosier delegation would vote “Oh, look at my African-Ameri- as a solid bloc for the president who would go on to become the can over here.
    [Show full text]
  • Time for a Reset? U.S.-China Relations During the Biden Administration
    Time for a Reset? U.S.-China Relations during the Biden Administration January 11, 2021 Zoom Webinar The Miller Center is pleased to have partnered with the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai to produce this symposium on the prospects for U.S.-China relations as the Biden administration takes office in Washington. This hybrid event was broadcast in front of a live audience at Fudan University and a virtual audience in the United States and around the world. The recording is available for later viewing on the Miller Center YouTube channel here and event page here, as well as in China. This program is co-sponsored by UVA Global and the UVA Center for Politics. Summary Have major recent developments in China and the United States raised the possibility that the U.S.-China relationship, which has become increasingly strained over the last 10 years, might now move in new and more positive directions? The first panel discusses the November 2020 elections in the United States, providing an analysis of the election campaigns, the electoral process, the outcomes of the elections, and the transition from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration. It then examines the Fifth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee in October, which discussed the foreign and domestic economic policies underlying China’s new five-year plan that will begin in 2021. The second panel analyzes the implications of these events for Chinese policy toward the U.S. and American policy toward China, assessing the prospects for both change and continuity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis
    The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis James E. Campbell University at Buffalo, SUNY Presidential Studies Quarterly, forthcoming. Abstract This research examines influences on the 2008 presidential election. With an unpopular Republican president, an unpopular war, and a slumping economy, 2008 looked to be a good year for the Democrats. On the other hand, open seat elections have been historically close and less affected by retrospective considerations. Moreover, partisanship, ideological polarization, and contested nominations in both parties inclined the electorate to an even division. McCain’s more centrist record and Obama’s race also seemed to favor the Republicans. Taken together, these factors set the stage for a closely decided election. It was shaping up in the polls that way until the Wall Street meltdown hit in mid-September. It was the “game changer” that tipped the election to Obama. Authors’s Bio James E. Campbell is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Author of over sixty journal articles and book chapters about American politics, his most recent book is the second edition of The American Campaign (Texas A&M, 2008). The Exceptional Election of 2008: Performance, Values, and Crisis1 Bringing several years of nomination and general election campaigns to a close, more than 131 million voters cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election and elected Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain. The two-party popular vote split 53.7 percent for Obama to 46.3 percent for McCain. With 365 electoral votes cast from 28 states and the District of Columbia (with one electoral vote from Nebraska) for Obama and 173 electoral votes from 22 states cast for McCain, Senator Barack Obama was elected to serve as the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to occupy the office.
    [Show full text]
  • Has the Obama Presidency Vitiated The
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Connecticut Law Review School of Law 2011 Has the Obama Presidency Vitiated the Dysfunctional Constitution Thesis Is Our Constitutional Order Broken - Structural and Doctrinal Questions in Constitutional Law: Keynote Address Sanford Levinson Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/law_review Recommended Citation Levinson, Sanford, "Has the Obama Presidency Vitiated the Dysfunctional Constitution Thesis Is Our Constitutional Order Broken - Structural and Doctrinal Questions in Constitutional Law: Keynote Address" (2011). Connecticut Law Review. 105. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/law_review/105 Has the Obama Presidency Vitiated the “Dysfunctional Constitution” Thesis? SANFORD LEVINSON* The title I was given by the organizers of this symposium, and very happily accepted, was: “Has the Obama Presidency Vitiated the ‘Dysfunctional Constitution’ Thesis?” I presume I was invited because I did indeed publish a book in 2006 called Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It). It would be disingenuous to deny that some of my arguments were motivated by my particular unhappiness with the presidency of George W. Bush, so an obvious question is the extent to which my sometimes caustic criticisms of the Constitution would survive the 2008 election, which not only saw Barack Obama replace Bush, but also provided him with a Democratic House of Representatives and Senate. Before proceeding to the full-scale answer to the above question, I think it is relevant to tell you an interesting story about the title of my book. The initial title that I sent to my editor at the Oxford University Press was Our Broken Constitution.
    [Show full text]
  • Vote Early and Avoid the Crush There’S No Need to Wait an Entire Month to Vote Required by Virginia State Law
    Vol. 41, No 10 www.arlingtondemocrats.org October 2016 Vote early and avoid the crush There’s no need to wait an entire month to vote required by Virginia state law. for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. You can cast The application form takes 30 seconds to fill your vote right now. And ACDC urges everyone to out and then you vote by filling in a paper ballot— cast your ballot early. just like in the olden days of the 20th Century!—but First of all, it’s convenient because you pick then inserting the paper ballot into one of the the day. And you avoid the huge lines that are seen county’s brand-new scanners that count the votes. every presidential year. But many miss voting on You can also vote by mail if you prefer—and Election Day because they have a crunch at the of- don’t forget any kids away at college. An applica- Yes, Virginia, we have fice, were called out of town or wake up ill. All tion for a mail-in ballot can be obtained on the found election fraud in that’s avoided by voting before Election Day. County webpage at: The technical term is “in-person absentee vot- http://vote.arlingtonva.us/absentee/absentee-voting- Virginia. It’s spread all ing,” but it just means voting in the weeks before ballot-application/ over Page Eight! actual Election Day. The three locations for voting early this year Voting is in the lobby of the County Building, are: 2100 Clarendon Blvd. And this year there are two • In the lobby of the County Building at Court- other locations, in north and south Arlington, to house Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
    [Show full text]
  • Discoverthe UNIVERSITY of VIRGINIA
    DiscoverTHE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA TheCenterforPoliticsis a practical institution that bridges the gap between the ivory towers of academia and the real world, and in doing so, touches over a million lives each year. As such, the Center for Politics is committed to serious academic analysis as well as constructive ways to generate greater civic participation among the general public. We can’t reach hundreds of thousands of citizens all on our own; our staff of fifteen relies on the help of our wonderful U.Va. student interns, generous private donors, thousands of com- I know of no safe depository of mitted primary and secondary teachers involved with our Youth Leadership Initiative the ultimate powers of society across the nation, and interested citizens to make civic education and participation a but the people themselves, and vital part of our democracy. if we think them not enlight- Our inspiration comes from a likely source: Thomas Jefferson. His words guide our ened enough to exercise their mission because of his dedication to civic engagement and promotion of education as control with a wholesome dis- the key to building and sustaining good government. cretion, the remedy is not to In this brochure, you will see a small sample of people the Center for Politics is take it from them but to inform proud to be associated with. You will meet Christina Valencia, a fourth-year student their discretion. and superb Center intern; and Ken Stroupe, the Center’s chief of staff, who conducts Thomas Jefferson groundbreaking research on civic education. You’ll get to know some of our financial supporters, like J.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexander George Theodoridis
    Alexander George Theodoridis University of Massachusetts Amherst Phone: (510) 703-1260 Department of Political Science Email: [email protected] Homepage: http://www.alexandertheodoridis.com/ Education University of California, Berkeley Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science, 2012. Dissertation Title: “Party Identity in Political Cognition” Committee: Henry Brady; Eric Schickler; Jack Citrin; Rob MacCoun; Rob Van Houweling Master of Arts in Political Science, 2006. Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Master in Public Policy, 2005. University of Virginia Bachelor of Arts, 1998. Academic Positions Associate Professor and Associate Director UMass Poll, University of Massachusetts Amherst. 2020 – Assistant Professor, University of California, Merced. 2012 – 2020 Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Vanderbilt University. Senior Visiting Scholar: 2017-18 Academic Year. Research Fellow: Summer 2012. Mentoring Faculty in Residence, Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) 2013 Summer Institute, University of California, Berkeley. Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles • “The ‘Appearance of Corruption:’ Linking Public Opinion and Campaign Finance Reform,” with Douglas Spencer. 2020. Election Law Journal. • “Party Animals: Extreme Affective Polarization and Dehumanization,” with James Martherus, Andres Martinez and Paul Piff. 2019. Political Behavior. • “Believe It or Not? Partisanship, Preferences, and the Credibility of Campaign Promises,” with Pablo Fernandez- Vazquez. 2019. Journal of Experimental Political Science. • “What Goes with Red and Blue? Mapping Partisan and Ideological Associations in the Minds of Voters,” with Stephen Goggin and John Henderson. 2019. Political Behavior. • “Worth Weighting? How to Think About and Use Weights in Survey Experiments,” with Luke Miratrix, Jasjeet Sekhon and Luis Campos. 2018. Political Analysis. – Winner of the Society for Political Methodology Warren Miller Prize.
    [Show full text]
  • Dem Newsletter
    Vol. 35, No. 6 www.arlingtondemocrats.org June 2010 Don’t be in Dem vote unanimous against a fog about the FOG! change of government ballot (Form Of Government) Arlington Democrats voted unanimously, 74- gram on the proposal to hold a referendum on chang- 0, at the last ACDC meeting to oppose a proposed ing from Arlington’s current system, under which a See Pages 6-8 for all change in Arlington’s form of government. county manager runs the government with legisla- you ever wanted to This issue of The Voice contains articles and tive power in the County Board, to a system under know and didn’t boxes describing the proposal and pointing out which the County Board would hold executive as dare ask about FOG. sources of more information so you can learn more well as legislative power and actually run the county about the topic. (See Pages 6-8.) departments on a day-to-day basis. The May ACDC meeting was devoted to a pro- The change has been proposed by the Arling- ton Firefighters Union and endorsed by the Arling- ton County Republican Committee and the local Green Party. The change is opposed by a newly formed Coalition for Arlington Good Government, of which ACDC is now a member. A petition is being circulated to put the issue Photo courtesy Jerry Long to a referendum on the November ballot. The peti- tion must collect 14,350 signatures (10 percent of Arlington’s registered voters) by July 15. The vote by ACDC urged residents to oppose passage of the proposed referendum.
    [Show full text]
  • Belling the Partisan Cats: Preliminary Thoughts on Identifying and Mending a Dysfunctional Constitutional Order
    BELLING THE PARTISAN CATS: PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS ON IDENTIFYING AND MENDING A DYSFUNCTIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER MARK A. GRABER∗ INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 611 I. DYSFUNCTIONAL CONSTITUTIONS AND CONSTITUTIONAL ORDERS ... 618 II. THE VIEW FROM MIDCENTURY: A CONSTITUTIONAL SUCCESS STORY.................................................................................................. 628 III. THE VIEW FROM THE PRESENT ............................................................ 639 A. A Dysfunctional Constitutional Story .......................................... 640 B. Moving On ................................................................................... 644 INTRODUCTION Proponents of constitutional reform in the United States maintain that constitutional change must be initiated from outside the regular channels of constitutional politics.1 In his book, Our Undemocratic Constitution, Professor Sandy Levinson, the most prominent champion of constitutional revision or replacement,2 first argues that certain provisions in the U.S. Constitution prevent governing officials from making coherent policies that are responsive ∗ Professor of Law, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Much thanks to Sandy Levinson, Jack Balkin, Jim Fleming, and other participants in this Symposium for their advice. Special thanks to the members of the Boston University Law Review for the editorial assistance and help preparing this manuscript for publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics Is Local: How the South Became Republican
    Syracuse University SURFACE Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects Projects Summer 8-9-2017 All Politics is Local: How the South Became Republican Alexander Amico Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone Part of the American Politics Commons Recommended Citation Amico, Alexander, "All Politics is Local: How the South Became Republican" (2017). Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects. 994. https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/994 This Honors Capstone Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract From 1876 until 1964, the Democratic Party held virtual dictatorial control over the American South. Beginning after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that year’s presidential candidacy of anti-Civil Rights Act Republican Barry Goldwater, the South shifted reliably into the Republican column for presidential elections. Democrats still held a majority of all other offices in the region until the mid-1990s. This paper examines public opinion data in the American South, as well as partisan change in four Southern states, with an emphasis on the first time each state elected a Republican governor. I find that in each state, local issues played a major role in the election of the first Republican governor, and that one or several powerful statewide Democrats could stave off the party’s decline in the state.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Electoral Integrity and the 2020 Elections
    On the Electoral Integrity and the 2020 elections: Many people have asked me to evaluate the claims that there was widespread electoral fraud in the recent presidential elections, and good citizens want to know that claims of fraud are false. Perhaps the best resource is the ​Electoral Integrity Project​ out of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Since 2012, I have participated in fellow political scientist Pippa Norris’ assessment of electoral integrity​ in the U.S. election. This year, I was one of 789 political scientists from throughout the country whose experience and observations of the process of elections in the state where they were registered to vote was measured. A minimum of 20 experts on American elections, parties and state politics were invited to participate from each state and D.C., and Qualtrics was used to administer the survey online between Nov. 6, 2020 and Nov. 12, 2020. The EIP has monitored and evaluated more than 300 presidential and parliamentary elections in 166 nations worldwide, as well as elections in all 50 states, since 2012. For those who are interested in a research-oriented, non-partisan academic assessment of electoral integrity, I urge you to ​read the report​. I have included the Executive Summary at the bottom of this document. The ​Joint Statement from Elections and Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & The Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees​: “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history… While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too.
    [Show full text]