TY - JOUR
T1 - Lindsey Graham and Southern Politics in State and Nation
AU - McKee, Seth C.
AU - Huffmon, Scott H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©, Copyright © American University, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the most powerful actors in American politics and has been for over a quarter-century. Unquestionably, Graham fits the bill of a strategic and progressively ambitious politician. Interestingly however, in a time of increasing partisan and ideological polarization in the U.S. Congress, Graham has moderated his representation. In this article, we situate the political career of Lindsey Graham within the broader milieu of the changing partisan dynamics of Congress, his state, and southern politics. With a bevy of data, we show that the sorting of the American electorate and nationalized voting behavior have undermined Graham’s political support across the partisan aisle. Nevertheless, this development has not placed Graham in electoral jeopardy because of the impressive Republican advantage in South Carolina, which should persist for years to come despite evidence of a gradually growing Democratic opposition.
AB - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the most powerful actors in American politics and has been for over a quarter-century. Unquestionably, Graham fits the bill of a strategic and progressively ambitious politician. Interestingly however, in a time of increasing partisan and ideological polarization in the U.S. Congress, Graham has moderated his representation. In this article, we situate the political career of Lindsey Graham within the broader milieu of the changing partisan dynamics of Congress, his state, and southern politics. With a bevy of data, we show that the sorting of the American electorate and nationalized voting behavior have undermined Graham’s political support across the partisan aisle. Nevertheless, this development has not placed Graham in electoral jeopardy because of the impressive Republican advantage in South Carolina, which should persist for years to come despite evidence of a gradually growing Democratic opposition.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135694530&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07343469.2022.2099481
DO - 10.1080/07343469.2022.2099481
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85135694530
SN - 0734-3469
VL - 50
SP - 29
EP - 50
JO - Congress and the Presidency
JF - Congress and the Presidency
IS - 1
ER -