Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media Tip Sheets
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media Tip Sheets

Assistant Professor of Political Science Steven White Offers Perspective on Jan. 6 Events in Washington, D.C.

Friday, January 8, 2021, By News Staff
Share
facultyMaxwell School of Citizenship and Public AffairsNews Mediapolitics

Steven WhiteSteven White, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs who has studied Southern politics. White specializes in American politics, American political development, race and politics collectively.

White provided remarks regarding the events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021:

“A pro-Trump mob—some carrying Confederate flags—breaking into the Capitol and stopping the Electoral College proceedings reflects longer-term trends in the Republican Party finally reaching a breaking point. The GOP has always been primarily the party of business interests, but since that’s not a large enough group to win elections, they always needed other coalition partners. In the 19th century, that coalition included Black voters, especially in the South. Indeed, for a long time, Southern whites were the most anti-Republican voters in the entire country.

That changed over the course of the 20th century. The New Deal expanded the Democratic Party’s fortunes in the North, turning it into the more politically liberal, multiracial party that we know today. As Black voters started changing their political affiliations and becoming Democrats, some Republicans fought to keep the party as the party of Lincoln. Many more, though, saw the appeal of reaching out to Southern whites disenchanted with the Democratic Party’s more liberal—and increasingly racially inclusive—positions.

By the 1960s, Republican presidential candidates were selling a conservative anti-government message to Southern whites and finding immense success. Many of the Republican elites were concerned first and foremost with economic conservatism. But many of the new Republican voters interpreted the anti-government message as being one about preserving the racial status quo of midcentury America.

In the past few decades, ambitious Republican politicians have increasingly made appeals to the latent illiberalism of white voters around the country, not just the South. Many probably thought they could rile people up for votes but manage to keep things under control. What I think we saw on Jan. 6 is that they might have finally lost control of it.”

  • Author
  • Faculty Experts

News Staff

  • Steven White

  • Recent
  • Funding Expands for Newhouse Professors’ Work on Technology to Combat Fake News
    Wednesday, May 18, 2022, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences Departments Come Together on Diversity and Engagement Initiatives
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By News Staff
  • As the School of Education’s Italy Program Returns, Sara Jo Soldovieri ’18, G’19 Reflects on Its Influence
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By Martin Walls
  • Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising Team Helps Match Students With Unique Experiences That Enhance Their Studies
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By Jen Maser
  • COVID-19 Update: Public Health Protocols for Summer 2022
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By News Staff

More In Media Tip Sheets

Architecture Expert and Researcher of Abortion Clinics On the Future of Access

Last week, a draft decision for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked from the Supreme Court and shows that five justices are preparing a judgment that would strike down Roe v. Wade. For reporters covering this ongoing story,…

“Inclusion Should Not Be an Afterthought”: Education and Legal Experts Weigh In on Plan to Update Federal Regulations

For the first time in 45 years, the U.S. Education Department is planning to update federal mandates for how schools and colleges must accommodate students with disabilities. The department is soliciting public comments about how current regulations can be improved…

Response to Putin’s Speech

As we heard earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had no choice but to invade Ukraine in his Victory Day speech (CNN). Syracuse University’s Mark Jacobson has responded to this speech (see below). Jacobson is the assistant dean of Washington programs…

Leaks at the Supreme Court, what really matters? The leak or the decision?

This week, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an investigation on how a draft decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked to Politico. This leak shows that five justices are preparing a judgment that would strike down…

Roe v. Wade Impact: Syracuse University Experts Weigh In

Reporters looking for insight into the leaked opinion showing Supreme Court justices are working on an advanced decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, please see comments from Syracuse University experts.  They each offer insight on what this means in the…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Youtube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2022 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.