Graduation Year
2016
Date of Submission
11-2015
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Government
Reader 1
John J. Pitney, Jr.
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2015 Kathryn M Chakmak
Abstract
For years Arkansas voted for Republicans in blue. From post-Reconstruction to industrialization and civil rights, Arkansas maintained a conservative ideology while aligning itself with the Democratic Party. In the late 20th century, the South shifted to the right, but the Natural State stayed loyal to the left and its traditional voting tactics. It would not be until the 21st century that Arkansans would recognize that the national Democratic Party did not represent their views. By the 2014 midterm elections, Arkansas’s long time conservatism, newly developed industry and demographic changes coalesced into a partisan change. Arkansas embraced red.
Recommended Citation
Chakmak, Kathryn M., "How the Natural State Turned Red: Political Realignment in Arkansas" (2016). CMC Senior Theses. 1258.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1258
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
