“The Long Southern Strategy”

What is “the long southern strategy” and how has it shaped US

partisan politics over the past 60 years?
Jihan MacNaughton
47401001

POIR3920 - United States Politics: Money, Culture, Power

September 22nd, 2024
Introduction

“The Long Southern Strategy” refers to a political realignment initiated by the Republican
Party during the Civil Rights Movements. It aimed to attract southern white voters by
capitalising on existing racial tensions, as southern Democrats became disillusioned with their
party’s embrace of civil rights reforms. Over time, the strategy expanded beyond race to include
gender roles and evangelical Christianity. This multidimensional approach sought to
consolidate a new conservative base in the South by addressing fears and anxieties related to
social change. The Long Southern strategy has reshaped U.S. partisan politics over the last 60
years, profoundly influencing the transformation of the Republican Party. By strategically
aligning itself with southern conservative values, the party has shifted from being a moderate,
business-focused organisation to one deeply rooted in social conservatism. This strategy has
contributed the deepening of political polarisation, particularly on issues such as race, gender,
and religion. The long-term impact has been a realignment of party identities, with the GOP
becoming synonymous with southern and rural conservatism, while increasing tensions
between liberal and conservative factions across the country.

Historical Context

Pre-1960s Political Landscape

Before the 1960s, the southern United States was a Democratic stronghold, often referred to as
the “Solid South”. For decades following the Civil War, white voters in the South
overwhelmingly supported the Democratic Party due to its alignment with southern economic
interests, agricultural dominance and its opposition to Reconstruction polices (Baugh, 2024).
The Democratic Party in the South was deeply conservative, with powerful factions of white
southern Democrats holding control. These political leaders resisted civil rights reforms and
championed states’ rights, which allowed them to maintain systems of racial segregation and
white supremacy. As a result, African Americans in South were systemically disenfranchised
through Jim Crow laws, preventing them from voting and accessing basic civil rights (Baugh,
2024) (Maxwell & Shields, 2019 pp. 2-3).

The Southern Democrats’ resistance to federal interference, especially in racial matters, kept
the South solidly Democratic throughout the first half of the century. This stronghold was not
based on national Democratic ideology, but on the party’s ability to protect the region’s social
and racial hierarchy. Southern politicians like Strom Thurmond and George Wallace became
national symbols of southern resistance to civil rights, advocating for segregation and local
control over racial matters (Baugh, 2024).

The Shift: Civil Rights Era

The political landscape in the South began to shift during the Civil Rights Movement of the
1950s and 1960s. The push for racial equality gained momentum, and landmark legislation like
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 marked a turning point. These
acts, championed by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, outlawed racial segregation
and dismantled voting restrictions that disenfranchised African Americans—which caused
many black voters to join the Democratic Party, moving the party and its nominees to become
more progressive (Rutenberg, 2015). While these achievements were celebrated by civil rights
activists and progressives, they also sparked significant backlash amongst white southern
voters who viewed the federal government’s involvement in civil rights as an infringement on
their way of life (Hayter, 2023).

Sensing an opportunity to capitalise on this discontent, Republican leaders began to adopt a

strategy that appealed to southern whites who felt alienated by the Democratic Party’s embrace
of civil rights. Barry Goldwater, the Republican presidential candidate in 1964, opposed the
Civil Rights Act, gaining support in the south despite his overwhelming national defeat.
Goldwater’s stance signalled the beginning of the Republican Party’s efforts to realign southern
white voters with conservative causes (Donaldson, 2016 pp. 789).

In 1968, Richard Nixon continued this approach through what became known as the “Southern
Strategy”. He appealed to southern white voters by emphasising law and order, states’ rights,
and resistance to federal civil rights mandates, all while avoiding overtly racist rhetoric. This
strategy helped Nixon win the presidency and began the long-term political realignment of the
South towards the Republican Party. The region, once a Democratic stronghold, began to
transform into a reliable source of conservative Republican support (Dyk, 2008).

Racial Politics and the Southern Strategy

Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” (1968-1972)

Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” was a deliberate attempt to win over disaffected white
southern voters who felt alienated by the Democratic Party’s support of civil rights. During the
1968 presidential election, Nixon used coded language and “dog whistles” to appeal to these
voters without explicitly engaging in overt racism. By emphasising issues such as “law and
order” and “states’ rights”, Nixon capitalised on fears among white voters about racial
integration and civil rights over rising crime and civil unrest, particularly the protests associated
with the Civil Rights Movement (Baugh, 2024). These messages, while seemingly race-neutral,
resonated with white voters who opposed federal mandates on desegregation and busing
policies, thus signalling to them that Nixon was on their side without the political risk of openly
racist rhetoric. This strategy was fundamental to Nixon’s victory, as he was able to peel away
southern support from the Democrats.

Reagan’s Expansion of the Strategy (1980s)

Ronald Reagan continued and expanded Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” during his 1980
presidential campaign, further solidifying the GOP’s hold on white southern voters. Reagan
used similar racial appeals, notably through his critique of welfare programs. He famously
invoked the image of the “welfare queen”—a stereotype of a Black woman fraudulently
abusing government welfare systems. This racialized portrayal reinforced negative perceptions
of welfare recipients and appealed to white voters who were critical of federal assistance
programs (Demby, 2013). Reagan’s economic policies, including significant tax cuts and
deregulation, disproportionately benefited wealthy Americans and exacerbated income
inequality, leaving poorer and minority communities further marginalised (Baugh, 2024). By
combining racial appeals with a broader conservative agenda, Reagan was able to consolidate
the GOP’s power in the South, drawing on racial resentments while promoting economic
conservatism.

The Long-Term Racial Impact on U.S. Partisan Politics

The “Southern Strategy” has had a profound and lasting impact on US partisan politics. Over
time, the South, once a Democratic stronghold, became a reliable base for the Republican Party.
The country’s political realignment contributed to deepening racial polarisation in voting
patterns. African Americans, who had overwhelmingly supported Republicans in the 19 th
century, became a steadfast Democratic voting bloc after the Civil Rights Movement.
Conversely, white southerners, disillusioned by the Democratic Party’s embrace of civil rights,
increasingly aligned with the GOP. This racial polarisation has shaped US elections, with racial
identity becoming a forefront of party affiliation (Baugh, 2024) (Maxwell & Shields, 2019).

.
Gender and Cultural Politics in the Long Southern Strategy

Anti-Feminism and Women’s Roles

In the 1970s, the Republican Party tapped into conservative views on gender roles prevalent in
the South, effectively exploiting them to consolidate support. Phyllis Schlafly emerged as a
leading figure in this movement, spearheading opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA). Schlafly’s “STOP ERA” campaign, founded in 1972, mobilised conservative women,
particularly from Southern and evangelical backgrounds, to argue that gender equality would
disrupt traditional roles, such as men being the primary breadwinners and women caring for
families (Kennedy, 2020). Schlafly framed the ERA as a threat to women’s societal privileges,
such as, “positively make women subject to the draft…promoting abortions instead of
families…” (Schlafly, 2010) and warned that it would lead to same-sex marriage as well. Her
successful efforts aligned conservative Christian women with the GOP and helped solidify the
party’s anti-feminist platform during this era.

The Role of Abortion and the Religious Right

The GOP’s growing alliance with the religious right in the post-Roe v. Wade era (1973) marked
another pivotal moment. Evangelical Christians, initially hesitant to engage in politics,
mobilised around the issue of abortion, opposing the Supreme Court’s decision to legalise it.
This mobilisation was orchestrated by leaders like Jerry Falwell and organisations such as the
Moral Majority (Stewart, 2022). The GOP capitalised on these sentiments by adopting a
staunchly pro-life stance, which resonated with southern evangelical voters. “…in 1979, when
political activist Paul Weyrich identifies abortion as a potential to really mobilize conservative
evangelicals politically, to help build the Moral Majority, then it is a very effective mechanism
for doing so. And from 1979 on, that's when you see a real kind of shrinking of space within
conservative evangelicalism to have any view on abortion that isn't strictly and staunchly pro-
life, life begins at conception” (Martin, 2022). As a result, abortion became a central issue in
GOP platforms, further strengthening the party’s appeal to religious conservatives in the South
and transforming abortion into a core cultural battleground between Republicans and
Democrats.

Long-Term Cultural Conservatism

Over time, these efforts entrenched cultural conservatism within the Republican Party,
particularly around issues of gender, family and sexuality. The GOP adopted firm positions
against abortion, same-sex marriage, and progressive gender roles, aligning itself with
traditional Christian values (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019). In contrast, the
Democratic party became associated with progressive stances on gender equality, LGBTQ+
rights, and reproductive freedom (Johnston, 2019). This deepening divide not only consolidates
the South as a Republican stronghold but also contributed to the broader polarisation of U.S.
politics, particularly around social and cultural issues.

Religion and the Moral Majority

Rise of the Religious Right in Southern Politics (1970s-1980s)

The rise of the Religious Right in Southern politics during the 1970s and 1980s marked a
significant realignment of conservative evangelical Christians. Led by figures like Jerry
Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority in 1979, this movement mobilised evangelicals who
had previously been wary of political engagement (Stewart, 2022). Falwell and others
capitalised on concerns over secularism, perceived moral decline, and social issues such as
abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, which had gained prominence after Roe v. Wade (1973). Falwell,
along with other leaders like Pat Robertson, successfully linked conservative Christian values
to political activism, portraying politics as a battleground for safeguarding “family values”
(Bullock et al., 2019 pp. 109). This helped stimulate white evangelical voters, particularly in
the South, into a political force aligned with the Republican Party. By the 1980s, with Ronald
Reagan’s embrace of the Religious Right, the GOP became increasingly identified with
Christian conservative values, including opposition to abortion, secularism in public life and
same-sex marriage (Bullock et al., 2019 pp. 112).

Religion and Political Identity

Religious affiliation increasingly became a key predictor of political identity in the U.S.,
particularly in the South. Evangelicals, especially conservative Protestants, shifted almost
entirely towards the Republican Party by the 1980s, while more liberal religious groups, such
as mainline Protestants and Catholics, remained more evenly divided or shifted towards the
Democrats (Bullock et al., 2019 pp. 113). This intersection of religion and politics deepened
partisan polarisation, particularly on social issues like public education. Evangelicals viewed
their political engagement as part of a moral necessities, opposing policies that they saw as
contrary to biblical principles (Bullock et al., 2019 pp. 11-13). Issues such as the role of religion
in public schools become deeply divisive, with the GOP championing religious values, while
the Democratic Party became associated with secularism and progressive stances on social
issues.

Impact on Modern Partisan Politics

Polarisation of the Electorate

The U.S. electorate has become increasingly polarised along racial, gender and religious lines,
which today are key fault lines in political discourse. The Republican Party’s base has become
more homogenous, with a predominance of white, evangelical, southern voters. This shift has
driven the GOP towards a more conservative stance on social and cultural issues while the
Democratic Party has grown into a more diverse coalition that includes African Americans,
Latinos, women, and younger, secular voters (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019)
(Johnston, 2019). These demographic differences contribute to the widening divides on issues
such as race, gender, and religion. As the Republican base remains largely rural and religious
and the Democratic base urban and secular, both parties struggle to find common ground on
social and cultural issues, furthering entrenching polarisation (Charnock, 2018).
Political Realignment and the Erosion of Bipartisanship

The South’s realignment from a Democratic to a Republican stronghold, beginning in the 1960s
and solidifying in the 1980s, fundamentally altered the U.S. political landscape. This shift
eroded the competitive nature of elections in the south, as many southern states became reliably
Republican. As a result, primary elections in these states, rather than general elections, often
determine the outcome, which favours more ideologically extreme candidates. This
realignment also contributed to the decline of bipartisanship in Congress, as moderate voices
were marginalised in favour of candidates who reflect the increasingly polarised bases of
respective parties (Maxwell & Shields, 2019).

Effects on Policy and Governance

Partisan polarisation has had significant effects on us policy and governance, particularly
around issues of race, gender, and religion. Disagreements on topics such as voting rights,
reproductive rights, and criminal justice reform are often at the centre of political conflicts.
This deepening divide makes it more difficult to pass bipartisan legislation, as both parties
prioritise cultural and social issues that energise their bases. Stalemates on key policy issues,
such as immigration reform and healthcare have become more common as cultural and social
divisions dominate political discourse (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019)
(Johnston, 2019).

Conclusion

“The Long Southern Strategy” continues to shape U.S. partisan politics, with race, gender, and
religion serving as key dividing issues. The GOP, especially in the South, maintains its appeal
to conservative white voters through positions on these issues. However, demographic changes,
including increasing racial diversity and shifting attitudes on gender and sexuality, may alter
political dynamics in the future. “The Long Southern Strategy” has deepened political
polarisation and aggravated racial divisions in the U.S. This legacy will likely continue to
influence both parties, shaping their future platforms and voter bases.
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