Suchergebnisse

In a 'one-party' situation, the real cleavages are found within the dominant party and are manifest in primaries rather than in general elections. The intra-party factions tend to represent different SE groups. The basic political tendencies that give rise to these factions have their foundation in the social ecology of the state, are manifest by patterns of geographic distribution of voting strength, and are relatively persistent. The paper attempts to validate this thesis by comparing the Louisiana gubernatorial primaries of 1952 with those of 1948. Similarities in the geographical patterns of voting behavior are emphasized. Than differences in voting behavior in the two primaries are described and explained. SE factors related to political behavior in Louisiana are analyzed. The analysis focuses on the Long and anti-Long factions and various combinations within these two groups. The most significant new phenomenon in 1952 was the increased political participation of urban Negroes. The Long forces tended to hold their strength in the cut-over rural areas of North Louisiana. Anti-Long strength was concentrated in the plantation areas and the urban-industrial parishes. The findings are interpreted as indicating that 'the continuity of political tendencies is more important than the changes in the relative strength of the political factions.' E. Scott.