Different Contents, Similar Packages: The Domestic Political Beliefs of Southern Local Party Activists

Abstract

This research note investigates the content, structure, and correlates of the political beliefs of Democratic and Republican local party activists in eleven Southern states. Confirmatory factor analyses reveal that the beliefs of both groups are structured by three factors concerning government involvement in economy and society, traditional values, and women's rights and roles. Regarding the content of belief, Republicans take substantially more con servative positions on several (not all) of the issues organized by the three factors and, unlike Democrats, there is little subgroup diversity in their beliefs concerning government involvement and traditional values issues. The political beliefs of Democrats, but not Republicans, also vary geographically, with Deep South Democrats being significantly more conservative than those in border states.