Note: Syllabus as of August 13, 2024.

PS 4253/6253
Southern Politics
Fall 2024
Time: 11 MWF
Classroom: Old Main 3090

Professor: Dr. Stephen D. Shaffer
Office: 198 Bowen
Office Hours: 10-11, 12-1 MWF

website: http://sds17.pspa.msstate.edu/classes/southern/southern.html
e-mail: kauai@pspa.msstate.edu

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

This course on Southern Politics examines the political history of the eleven states of the old Civil War confederacy. We begin the course by pointing out how the South has fit into the national political system, and how national partisan competition has shaped politics in the South. We therefore chart the six different party eras throughout our nation's history, and then discuss how presidential elections have reflected southern politics. We then turn to the special historical legacy of the South, which is racial segregation. We study segregation from a personal perspective using biographies, and from an historical-legalistic-political perspective. We then turn to The Deep South states, which illustrate the segregationist history of the region, but also exhibit dramatic changes in recent decades, reflected in tremendous Republican gains. We then move to the Rim South states, which today generally reflect a very competitive two-party system. We conclude the course by reflecting on how the South has become a very Republican Party oriented region today, though Democrats in recent years have increasingly staged a comeback in such states as Virginia and Georgia. As such, your objective is to learn about the region’s racial and party history as a whole, plus the political culture of each southern state.

This course should be especially fun and interesting this semester, given the heated presidential and congressional elections. For this first time since 1892 we initially had two Presidents or former Presidents expected to be nominated by the two major parties, so they were both experienced. However, they both have real problems, with Trump twice impeached and criminally indicted in four separate courts, and Biden having cognitive and speaking problems and performance problems with inflation, two wars, and insecure borders. Therefore, Democrats made history by pressuring their President to leave the ticket and nominating the first Afircan American/Asian female presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. Both the House and the Senate are pretty evenly divided, so both parties will fight intensely for control. Democrats have been able to make some recent gains in Dixie, such as their capture of both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats in 2020, though the region remains fairly reliably Republican. So, the study of southern politics has become a very interesting spectator sport!

READINGS:

The required readings shall come from the following book:

The New Politics of the Old South, edited by Charles S. Bullock III and Mark J. Rozell. 7th edition. Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham, Maryland 2022. ISBN-13: 978-1538154786. Cost new is about $42 for the paperback ($110 for the hardcover). Make sure that you buy this latest edition of the book!

METHOD OF EVALUATION:

Undergraduates will have three grading opportunities, each of which shall count equally in computing your course grade. They are: a midsemester essay examination; a final, noncumulative essay exam; and a book report on the assigned book for the class. Students receiving graduate credit will meet these requirements, as well as write a research paper on a topic of interest that is approved by the professor, or write an additional book review on a second book (those receiving graduate credit for the course, just send me an e-mail about your ideas for your research paper or additional book report by the end of the first week of class).

The book report will be about 10 pages long. My primary concern is that you demonstrate that you have learned some important themes about the politics in each of the southern states, as well as address the first three introductory chapters. I suggest you have an introductory and concluding paragraph, where you deal with the book as a whole, and then a couple of paragraphs on each of the chapters of the book. What are the important themes found in each chapter, and how helpful are the charts and tables? Be specific by providing specific examples to illustrate your points. Finally, for each chapter, evaluate how understandable each chapter was, how it contributed to your understanding of politics in that state, and how you suggest that the chapter be improved.

• The course delivery method is a face-to-face class, so you are expected to attend class whenever possible. If you do have to miss for any reason, send me an e-mail indicating when you are missing, and why you have to miss. Then, review the material we will be covering in class by going to my class Website, whose address is near the top of the first page of this syllabus. To receive attendance credit for attending that class, send me another e-mail indicating that you have reviewed the class lecture, ask any question about the lecture that you wish, make any comment about it, or just say that you have read and understood the lecture. While class attendance does not officially affect your course grade, it is still important to attend class whenever you can, since unexcused absences harm a person’s reputation. However, universities today are placing a priority on the health and safety of their students and staff, so if you are feeling ill, coughing, sneezing, whatever, do not come to class. You can follow what went on in class by going to my webpage at: http://sds17.pspa.msstate.edu/classes/southern/southern.html, click on that week’s class notes, as well as the link that reads: Information for anyone missing any in-person class.

Given the stress of our modern society, you may even desire to take a mental health day. Even I had to miss one class last year due to health concerns.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

"The Mississippi State University Syllabus contains all policies and procedures that are applicable to every course on campus and online. The policies in the University Syllabus describe the official policies of the University and will take precedence over those found elsewhere. It is the student's responsibility to read and be familiar with every policy. The University Syllabus may be accessed at any time on the Provost website under Faculty and Student Resources and at https://www.provost.msstate.edu/faculty-student-resources/university-syllabus"

COURSE OUTLINE: (time periods are approximations only)

WEEKS 1-2: August 21-30

The South in a National Context
Read textbook, Chapters 1, 2
(Lectures on Political Party Eras and Presidential Elections in the South)

WEEK 3: September 4-6

The Old South- Racial Segregation and White Supremacy
Read textbook, chapter 3
(Lectures on each state's segregated political system)

WEEK 4: September 9-13

The Second Reconstruction- Some Personal Accounts
Read textbook, chapter 4
(Lectures on Medgar Evers and Douglas Conner's books)

WEEK 5: September 16-20

South Carolina- the Strom Thurmond Legacy
Read textbook, chapter 9
(Lecture on Strom Thurmond and current Republicanism)

WEEK 6: September 23-27

Georgia- Democratic Hegemony Meltdown
Read textbook, chapter 5

(Lecture on Democratic governors, Zell Miller, Republican gains)

WEEK 7: September 30-October 2

Alabama- the George Wallace Legacy
Read textbook, chapter 13
(Lectures on George Wallace and post-Wallace Republican gains)

Review of course material- Friday, October 4

WEEK 8: October 7-9

MIDSEMESTER ESSAY EXAMINATION, Monday, October 7

Discussion about book report- Wednesday, October 9

WEEK 9: October 14-18

Mississippi- Modern Mature Republicanism
Read textbook, chapter 11
(Lectures on Republican officeholders and governance)

WEEK 10: October 21-25

Louisiana- the Edwin Edwards Legacy
Read textbook, chapter 10
(Lecture on Edwin Edwards and post-Edwards era)

WEEK 11: October 28-November 1

Texas- Republican Hegemony Routs Liberal Democrats
Read textbook, chapter 8
(Lecture on liberal Democratic rise, Bush, current era)

WEEK 12: November 4-8

North Carolina- Titans in Both Parties
Read textbook, chapter 6
(Lecture on Governor Hunt and Senator Helms)

WEEK 13: November 11-15

Tennessee- Moderate Democrats, Modern Republicans
Read textbook, chapter 12
(Lecture on racial liberal Democrats, current Republicans)

WEEK 14: November 18-22

Arkansas- the Three Democratic Titans
Read textbook, chapter 14
(Lecture on Bumpers, Clinton, Pryor, successors)

WRITTEN BOOK REPORTS DUE- November 22

WEEK 15: November 25

Florida- a National Swing State
Read textbook, chapter 7
(Lecture on individualized governors)

GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH PAPERS DUE: November 25

WEEK 16: December 2

Virginia- Liberal Democrats Replaced by Pragmatic Democrats
Read textbook, chapter 15
(lecture on seesaw of Democratic liberalism versus pragmatism)

Review of course material

FINAL NON-CUMULATIVE ESSAY EXAMINATION: Noon, Wednesday, December 11