Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States

Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States, Volume 1, provides a rigorous political science analysis of shifting partisan preferences across the Northern United States. Robert W. Speel examines why voters in New England and other northern regions have moved away from the Republican party toward Democratic presidential candidates since the 1950s. By focusing on specific demographics, such as voters of Yankee or Norwegian ancestry and those with higher education levels, this history explores the tension between traditional moderate Republicanism and the party's shift toward conservative Southern appeals.

This scholarly work utilizes actual voting data rather than public opinion surveys to investigate electoral trends. Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States, Volume 1, offers an in-depth look at state-level voting statistics to explain the rise of split-ticket voting. The study suggests that voters often maintain distinct party identifications for national and state elections, providing a nuanced perspective on American political history and voting behavior.