Elazar first introduced his theory of state political culture over fifty years ago. Many believe his original theory is now dated. As immigration patterns have changed over time and as a result the three cultures no longer match the country’s current reality.
Others argue that advances in technology and transportation have made it easier for citizens to travel across state lines and to relocate. Therefore, the pattern of diffusion on which the original theory rests may no longer be accurate, because people are moving around in more, and often unpredictable, directions.
For this paper, examine the changing political culture and voting trends in Georgia compared to Tennessee. Why has Georgia, a traditionalistic state also, become more purple as Tennessee as turned deeper red? Could we better understand the impact of population growth on political culture by studying the politics of an area? Like how has the influx of transplants affected politics in Nashville and the surrounding donuts compared to Atlanta? Or do these transplants adapt to the old political subculture as seems to be the case here compared to Atlanta and the surrounding counties?
