Answer to Question #118645 in History for Vianet

Question

How do you account for the shifts in the memberships in the Democratic and Republican parties that occurred during the ‘60s and ‘70s? Why did white southerners, who had been staunch Democrats begin switching to the Republican party? What changes pushed them out of the Democratic party and what tactics and issues did the Republicans use to attract them?

Answer 1

It occurred when Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The 'switch' may seem a crude remark to make after such a momentous occasion, but it was also an accurate prediction of the Southern strategy that appealed to the racism of Southern white voters. Therefore, the Democrats continued to switch to Republican Party in the 1970s.