Grassroots Republicanism: Evaluating the Trickle Down Realignment Theory in North Carolina

The trickle down realignment theory provides a compelling explanation for partisan change in the American South. However, few researchers have evaluated the trickle down realignment theory in the context of local office holding, and few scholars have compared the theory to alternative explanations of partisan change. This study evaluates the trickle down realignment theory's ability to explain county-level Republican office holding in North Carolina between 1992 and 2000. After controlling for economic and demographic explanations of realignment, the findings indicate that greater levels of local Republican office holding are present in counties with higher support for Republican presidential candidates in 1988. The results from this study provide strong empirical support for the trickle down realignment theory and a basis for comparative analysis for other states.