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.

PrefaceSouthern Regional Perspectives on the 1988 ElectionThe Nomination Process and Super Tuesday by Charles S. Bullock IIIThe Reagan Legacy and Party Politics in the South by Harold W. StanleyThe Campaign and its Consequences: The Deep SouthAlabama: Further Steps Toward a Competitive Party System by Patrick CotterGeorgia: Ripe for the Picking--Presidential Politics in the Peach State by Alan A. Abramowitz and Wendy DavisLouisiana: Race, Republicans, and Religion by Charles D. HadleyMississippi: Electoral Conflict in a Nationalized State by Stephen D. ShafferSouth Carolina: Different Cast, Same Drama in the Palmetto State by Laurence W. Moreland, Robert P. Steed, and Tod A. BakerThe Campaign and its Consequences: The Rim SouthArkansas: Reluctant Republican in Razorback Land by Diane D. BlairFlorida: The Republican Surge Continues by William Hulbary, Anne L. Kelley, and Lewis BowmanNorth Carolina: The Confluence of National, Regional, and State Forces by Charles L. PrysbyTennessee: A House Divided by David M. Brodsky and Robert H. SwansbroughTexas: Toward an Ideological Politics by Dennis S. IppolitoVirginia: A Republican Encore in the Old Dominion by Larry SabatoConclusionThe 1988 Presidential Election and the Future of Southern Politics by Earl Black and Merle BlackIndex