Working Paper: NBER ID: w31973
Authors: D. Mark Anderson; Kerwin Charles; Krzysztof Karbownik; Daniel I. Rees; Camila Steffens
Abstract: The Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) of 1968 was focused on highlighting, and ultimately reducing, poverty in the United States. As part of the campaign, protestors from across the country were transported to Washington, D.C. in 6 separate bus caravans, each of which made stops en route to rest, recruit, and hold non-violent protests. Using data from 1960-1970, we estimate the effects of these protests on congressional election outcomes. In the South, we find that PPC protests led to reductions in Democratic vote share and turnout, while in the West they may have benefited Democratic candidates at the expense of their Republican rivals.
Keywords: Poor People's Campaign; civil rights protests; election outcomes; congressional elections; political mobilization
JEL Codes: D72; I30; J15; N32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| PPC protests (D74) | reductions in Democratic vote share in the South (D72) |
| PPC protests (D74) | reductions in turnout in the South (H73) |
| PPC protests (D74) | benefited Democratic candidates in the West (D72) |
| reductions in Democratic vote share in the South (D72) | antidemocratic backlash among Southern white voters (D72) |
| PPC protests (D74) | solidified political alliances against the Democrats in the South (D72) |