Voting Behavior in Tennessee: A Sociological Analysis of the Driving Forces Behind a Shift to the Right in Congressional Elections

Abstract

The intent for this thesis is to examine how and why the narrative shift of the general population and news media from policy issues to ideological issues has so strongly affected voter behavior, specifically in states with clearer conservative or liberal ideology. In Tennessee, a largely conservative state, this narrative shift has led to landslide wins for Republican politicians. Although the number one polling issue remains the economy, heavier polarization and identification politics now see voters gravitating more toward the candidates who best represent their own values. Using the sociological concept of collective effervescence, I intend to help readers better understand the psychosocial implications of partisan politics and why a sociological approach is so important when understanding institutions altogether.