Economic development cannot explain Southern Democratic dealignment

Evidence

In fact, not only does economic development not explain overall Southern dealignment, but richer and non-rural Southerners (the so-called “New South”) did not drive dealignment (see Appendix Table A.9). — Ilyana Kuziemko and Ebonya Washington, Why Did the Democrats Lose the South?…, 798

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the threatened-privilege research program’s need to rule out economic/income-level explanations for status-threat-driven realignment. — connects to: Southern economic catch-up could independently explain realignment away from Democrats. — Ilyana Kuziemko and Ebonya Washington, Why Did the Democrats Lose the South?…, 43; Income and urbanization controls barely shrink the Southern Democratic-dealignment effect — Ilyana Kuziemko and Ebonya Washington, Why Did the Democrats Lose the South?…, 1130; A Democratic black voting bloc slowed Southern whites’ natural dealignment from the Democratic Party. — Ilyana Kuziemko and Ebonya Washington, Why Did the Democrats Lose the South?…, 186 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Economic structure is necessary but not sufficient to explain race relations #qualifies (0.85)
• Economic dominance does not automatically translate into political rule #corroborates (0.80)