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

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.

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.