Love 'Em or Hate 'Em? Changing Racial and Regional Differences in Opinions Toward Southerners, 1964-2008*.

Objective We determine whether Americans have reevaluated opinions toward southerners following the transformation of the region in the decades following the civil rights movement, focusing specifically on how opinions toward southerners vary across racial and regional groups. Methods We use both descriptive and multivariate methods to evaluate opinions toward southerners using American National Election Study ( ANES) data from 1964 to 2008. Results Opinions toward southerners have increased dramatically over time. People living in the South display more positive feelings toward southerners than individuals residing outside the region, although the gap is much smaller today than in previous decades. In addition, southern blacks' opinions toward southerners have improved dramatically. These trends hold even when controlling for a host of other factors. Conclusions Being a southerner is no longer a pejorative in the minds of many Americans. Blacks, in particular, have reevaluated their opinions of southerners as a group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]