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Nixon's Southern Strategy: An Examination Of The Role Of Race In The 1968 And 1972 Presidential Campaigns, Ella Feathers

Young Historians Conference

This paper explores the pivotal role of race in the South's political switch. In 1968, Nixon won the Presidential Election with very slim margins. Four years later, with when running for his second term, he won all the vast majority of the vote, including those from Southern states. By catering to Southern voters on issues such as welfare, desegregation, and crime, Nixon was able to gain Southern support, and secure a new base for the Republican party.