SUNBELT CONSERVATISM AND NATIONAL POLITICS OF “ANTI-GOVERNMENT”

“Sunbelt” —stretching from Virginia to Florida, southern California

Term coined for its political meaning by Kevin Philips--Republican Party strategist

predicted it would be the base of conservative majority in the US

grew out of Nixon’s attempt to steal the thunder of George Wallace, appeal to southern white male who felt “disenfranchised” during Civil Rights era; once Democratic, Republican Party triumphed as the Democratic Party sought to redress racial injustice

Betweem 1970-1990, South’s population rose 40%, 2x national rate

· contributed to new political constituency as south’s role in national politics increased with population growth

As businesses shifted from North to south in search of cheap labor and defense dollars, new constituency was born—corporate agribusiness, defense, aerospace, oil, leisure—based in what one analyst has called “a conservative, reactionary, racist cowboy culture”

religious revival of 1970s hosted here;

· some Northern elderly whites—many with union-won pensions from industries that were fleeing unionized North-- fled the increasingly integrated Northern urban areas on retirement, building separate communities; often sought to reduce their tax burden

source of sunbelt strength: military, industry shift, defense spending, retirees, air conditioning;

· low labor costs and low union membership; only 14% of nonagricultural workforce unionized vs. 25% nationwide; by late 1980s, 16% remained;

· southern and western state govts spared no effort to maintain union-free ;

· right to work laws enacted in 1950s; states lured jobs and factories through inducements (free land, factory, tax-free status);

· some Northern elderly whites—many with union-won pensions from industries that were fleeing unionized North!-- fled the increasingly integrated Northern urban areas on retirement, building separate communities;

Key ethos of “politics of the sunbelt” was anti-government sentiments;

ironically, sunbelt was indisputably built on government “handouts” from WWII on (see earlier handout on welfare state)

from military to south’s large-scale agribusiness that had been subsidized by technology given by government; to federal highway, to social security that allowed northern retirees to move south, to arms manufacturing and defense technology spending in south and west, to space program-an outgrowth of defense agenda, was also a bonanza for South; -military bases and training camps in south also brought new young to areas of the south;

Novelist William Faulkner acknowledged this when he said, “our economy is no longer agricultural .. Our economy is the Federal Government”;

· links between Sunbelt politicians and Pentagon brass made the region the richest fortress and armory;

· Southern Democrats had used longevity to chair key committees, and they brought home the pork

· One example South Carolina Congressman L. Mendel Rivers: Chair of House Armed Services Committeee; Poured air force base, naval base, Polaris missile maintenance center, naval shipyard, submarine training station, naval hospital, mine warfare center, Sixth Naval District Headquarters, South out and got defsne contractors like McDonnnell-Douglas, Avco, GE, Lockheed ;

· In Sunbelt, worst excesses of racism had been outlawed, blacks now voting and sending representatives; racial moderation, not demagoguery allows south more leverage; conservative populism of George Wallace, drawing on anti-elitism and anti-government remained a defining characteristic; opposition to government programs perceived as benefiting blacks: welfare, job training, urban renewal—but now this also defined the national mainstream;

· Congressman Newt Gingrich a key example of the power of this constituency: anti-government campaigns, Contract with America (1994), yet Gingrich’s Marietta, Georgia district had the highest per-capita federal government expenditures

· New Sunbelt cities defined by defense and military spending were often described as “cities without downtowns”, sprawling cities that would soon define much of the North as well; “Atlanta described as “the apotheosis of suburban malldom” ;

Houston’s real center was a shopping mall; ; symbolized by rise of football (southern game) over baseball (rooted in North’s history)