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Suburban Voting in Presidential Elections
Author(s) -
MCKEE SETH C.,
SHAW DARON R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2003.tb00019.x
Subject(s) - presidential system , democracy , political science , voting , political economy , presidential election , argument (complex analysis) , politics , public administration , sociology , law , biochemistry , chemistry
Two observations have gained widespread acceptance in the wake of the 2000 presidential election. First, America has become a “49 percent nation,” in which it will be difficult for either the Republicans or the Democrats to wrest much of an advantage, either in congressional or presidential elections. Second, in this ultracompetitive environment, national elections will be decided in the sub urbs. This article examines the dynamics of suburban voting, paying particular attention to movement away from Republican presidential candidates in the 1990s. The authors consider the argument that the shift in political preferences of suburban voters was driven by changes in northern but not southern suburbs. They also investigate the notion that changes in the suburbs are due to demographic shifts favorable to Democratic candidates. Survey data demonstrate that the hypothesized changes have occurred but that they are neither regionally localized nor attributable solely to demographic shifts.