The nature of American politics 31the candidate of one party at a presidential election to the candidate of the
other party at the next election, or at least to abstain from voting for the
party that they previously supported. The tendency to switch votes from one
election to the next reflected the declining significance of sectional influ-
ences, the increasing ‘nationalisation’ of American politics. The era of the
‘post-industrial society’ ushered in a political system in which the elector-
ate was more independent, less committed to a particular party allegiance.
Landslide victories by Roosevelt in 1936, Johnson in 1964, Nixon in1972 and
Reagan in 1984 showed how waves of sentiment could sweep through the
whole country, carrying all before them.
However, the above figures show a greater degree of balance between the
two major parties in the period since 1988. This reflects the swing of many
white voters in the South from their traditional allegiance to the Democrats,
giving their support to the Republicans, at any rate in voting for the presi-
dency. The change in the voting behaviour of Southern whites is the most
significant change in the American political system in recent decades, mak-
ing the South the pivotal section in presidential politics.
Table 2.2 Percentage of votes cast for the Democratic and Republican presidential
candidates, 1936–2004
Democrat Republican
1936 60.8 36.6
1940 54.8 44.8
1944 53.4 45.9
1948 49.4 45.0
1952 44.4 54.9
1956 43.1 57.4
1960 49.7 49.5
1964 61.1 38.7
1968 42.4 43.4
1972 37.2 60.2
1976 50.0 48.0
1980 41.0 50.5
1984 40.4 58.5
1988 45.5 53.1
1992 42.9 37.1
1996 49.2 40.7
2000 48.3 47.8
2004 48.1 50.6
Note
Percentages do not total to 100 because of the intervention of third parties.