Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1979 Louisiana Parishes: Their eopleP and Governments, a Developmental Analysis. Grace June Savoy Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Savoy, Grace June, "Louisiana Parishes: Their eP ople and Governments, a Developmental Analysis." (1979). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3414. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3414 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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Ml 481 06 18 BEDFORD ROW. LONDON WC1 R 4EJ, ENGLAND 79375^6 SAVOY, GRACE JUi'.'E LOUISIANA PARISHES! THEIR PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENTS* A DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS. THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COL.', PH.'D.i 1979 University Microfilms International 300 N ZEEBROAD, ANN ARBOR, MI 4BIO6 LOUISIANA PARISHES: THEIR PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENTS A DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Political Science by Grace June Savoy B.A., Louisiana State University, 1953 M.A., University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1974 August 1979 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES vii INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1 PARISH POPULATIONS: CHARACTERISTICS AND DEVELOPMENT 16 Population Characteristics and Classifications 16 The Development of Parish Populations 24 Development Rank of Parishes 37 The Underdeveloped and the Developed Parishes 39 Summary 48 2 PARISH GOVERNMENT: DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE 55 Development of County and Parish Governments 55 Development of Louisiana Parish Government 59 Institutional Structures and Characteristics 62 Autonomy Through Home Rule 65 Innovative Organizational Forms 74 Separation of the Legislative and Executive Functions and Officers 84 Summary 86 3 THE ADMINISTRATION OF PARISH GOVERNMENT 92 The Developed Administration 92 Hierarchy 95 Differentiation and Specialization 101 Equality 107 Capacity 120 Summary 129 4 PARISH POLICY 133 Pol icy Resources 136 Policy Formulation 151 Pol icy Priorities 157 Summary 168 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS 173 Population Development 174 Political Development 180 Populations, Politicians, and Policy 185 Developmental Studies of the American Milieu 187 Appendix A RESEARCH INSTRUMENT 191 Appendix B MAPS SHOWING THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF LOUISIANA IN RELATION TO THE ELECTION OF GOVERNOR EDWIN W. EDWARDS 198 Appendix C ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION ON LOUISIANA'S BLACK POPULATION 201 Appendix D CHARACTERISTICS OF BOARD MEMBERS BY DEVELOPMENT GROUPS 203 Appendix E CATEGORIES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES FOR PARISHES 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 205 VITA 217 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1-1 DEVELOPMENT VARIABLES FOR PARISH POPULATIONS ... 29 1-2 A FACTOR PATTERN OF SELECTED SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL VARIABLES FOR LOUISIANA PARISHES . 32 1-3 CORRELATION MATRIX OF PARISH DEVELOPMENT VARIABLES 35 1-4 LEVELS OF PAROCHIAL DEVELOPMENT, BY PARISH RANK AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP 38 2-1 INDICATORS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 65 2-2 HOME RULE PARISHES BY PAROCHIAL DEVELOPMENT GROUP 73 2-3 COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENT BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP ... 81 3-1 INTERACTION OF PRESIDENT WITH STAFF 97 3-2 PARISHES WITH SEPARATE ADMINISTRATORS (By Development Group) 103 3-3 SPECIALIZATION OF SUBJECT-MATTER COMMITTEES ... 105 3-4 AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK BOARD MEMBERS, BY BLACK POPULATION, BLACK REGISTERED VOTERS, AND PARISH DEVELOPMENT GROUP 110 3-5 AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK BOARD MEMBERS BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP (Controlled for Black Population) 112 3-6 NUMBER OF WOMEN ON PAROCHIAL GOVERNING BOARDS IN 1976, BY PARISH DEVELOPMENT GROUP 114 3-7 PARISHES WITH HIGHEST PARTY COMPETITION BASED ON NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS 115 3-8 NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF PARISH GOVERNING BOARDS ELECTED IN 1975 116 3-9 EMPLOYEE SELECTION METHODS, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 119 iv LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page 3-10 OCCUPATIONAL LEVELS OF BOARD MEMBERS BY DEVELOPMENT GROUPS 123 3-11 ACCEPTANCE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMITTEES, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 127 3-12 ACCEPTANCE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 128 4-1 GROSS PARISH REVENUE, BY PARISH POPULATION • GROUP 137 4-2 ANNUAL PER CAPITA REVENUE OF LOUISIANA PARISHES, BY PARISH POPULATION GROUP 138 4-3 ANNUAL PER CAPITA REVENUE OF LOUISIANA PARISHES, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP , . 139 4-4 ANNUAL PER CAPITA REVENUE FOR URBAN AND RURAL PARISHES CONTROLLED BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 141 4-5 ANNUAL MEAN PER CAPITA INDEBTEDNESS OF LOUISIANA PARISHES FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN SCHOOLS, BY POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP 143 4-6 CONTACT BY PARISHES WITH INFORMATION SOURCES, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 148 4-7 SUMMARY OF RESPONSES BY PARISH ADMINISTRATORS CONCERNING ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT . 153 4-8 SUMMARY OF RESPONSES BY PARISH ADMINISTRATORS CONCERNING BOARD MEMBER INTERESTS, BY PARISH DEVELOPMENT GROUP 154 4-9 AVERAGE PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE (IN DOLLARS) FOR SERVICES, BY POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP . 162 4-10 AVERAGE PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE (IN DOLLARS) BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 163 4-11 PERCENT OF COUNTIES IN UNITED STATES AND PERCENT OF PARISHES IN LOUISIANA PROVIDING SELECTED HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES 165 4-12 PERCENT OF PARISHES, BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP, PROVIDING SELECTED SOCIAL SERVICES 167 v LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Page NET MIGRATION FOR NEW ORLEANS SMSA, 1970-1977 .... 176 NORTH LOUISIANA PARISHES SHOWING OUTWARD MIGRATION, 1970-1977 178 BLACK POPULATION, VOTER REGISTRATION AND BOARD MEMBERS BY PARISH 202 AGE OF BOARD MEMBERS, 1975 203 TENURE OF BOARD MEMBERS, 1978 203 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1-1 DELINEATION OF VOTER-TYPE AREAS IN LOUISIANA, BY HOWARD 20 1-2 DELINEATION 0\ POLITICAL-ECOLOGICAL AREAS IN LOUISIANA, BY HOWARD 21 1-3 DEPICTION OF "URBAN-REPUBLICANISM DIMENSION" IN LOUISIANA, BY GRENIER AND HOWARD 23 1-4 PARISHES BY DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL 50 2-1 ORGANIZATION OF PARISH GOVERNMENT IN LOUISIANA . 60 2-2 ORGANIZATION OF POLICE JURY FORM OF PARISH GOVERNMENT 62 2-3 ORGANIZATION OF NEW ORLEANS CITY-PARISH GOVERNMENT 76 2-4 ORGANIZATION OF BATON ROUGE CITY-PARISH GOVERNMENT 11 3-1 ORGANIZATION OF DEVELOPED CITY-PARISH GOVERNMENT 99 3-2 ORGANIZATION OF DEVELOPED POLICE JURY PARISH GOVERNMENT 100 5-1 PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION OF PARISH GOVERNMENT ... 183 B-l CATHOLIC-MODERATION DIMENSION 198 B-2 BLACK POWER DIMENSION 199 B-3 EDWARDS SUPPORT 1972 200 C-l COMPARISON OF INCOME FOR BLACK AND WHITE FAMILIES, 1970 201 vii ABSTRACT This study examines Louisiana parishes with respect to the local ecology, the characteristics of citizens, and the institutions, administration and policy performance of governing boards. Their relationships are analyzed within the framework of development theory. Through the utilization of tenets basic to the theory of development, parishes are compared historically and from the perspective of their present state of development. Although development theory is most frequently applied to nations of the "Third World," this study extends the theory's application to subnational units of the United States through contrasts made between the underdeveloped and developed status of parish populations and governments. In Chapter 1, population development