Southern Paternalism and the American Welfare State: Economics, Politics, and In

The Nile on eBay   Southern Paternalism and the American Welfare State by Lee J. Alston, Joseph P. Ferrie

Combining insights from economics, political science and history, Professors Alston and Ferrie show how the timing and extent of the growth of the American welfare state from the Civil War until the mid-1960s was influenced by the southern agricultural elite.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Using institutional economics, Professors Alston and Ferrie show how paternalism in Southern agriculture helped shape the growth of the American welfare state in the hundred years following the Civil War. It was an integral part of agricultural contracts prior to mechanization. Paternalism involved the exchange of 'good and faithful' labour services for a variety of in-kind services, most notably protection from physical violence. The Southern landed elite valued paternalism because it reduced monitoring costs and turnover. Workers valued paternalism because of the lack of civil rights. In order to maintain the value of paternalism to their workers, the agricultural interests needed to prevent meddling from the federal government, which they accomplished through their disproportionate political power. Only the advent of mechanization and complementary technology in the late 1950s and early 1960s finally reduced the desire of Southern agricultural interests to fight the expansion of federal welfare programmes.

Notes

Combining insights from economics, political science and history, the authors show how the timing and extent of the growth of the American welfare state from the Civil War until the mid-1960s was influenced by the southern agricultural elite. Before the mechanization of Southern agriculture, the rural landed interests had an economic incentive to keep labour cheap and dependent. They accomplished this through their disproportionate political power at the local, state and national level, which enabled them to maintain a discriminatory legal environment and prevent federal interference in labour relations.

Author Biography

Alston is Professor of Economics, University of Illinois, and Research Associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Table of Contents

Preface; Introduction; 1. The economics of paternalism; 2. The politics of maintaining paternalism; 3. Southern opposition to the Social Security Act; 4. Southern opposition to the farm security administration; 5. The Bracero program and wartime farm labour legislation; 6. Mechanization and the disappearance of paternalism; Conclusion; References; Index.

Review

"...the book is a success." Douglas W. Allen, "This book is important reading for those interested in political economic, historical, and instituitional analysis that makes clear and provocative arguments about the evolution of the Southern economy and the federal welfare state. Furthermore, the authors always attempt to reconcile their ideas with the available empirical facts, and the resulting interplay of theory and historical experience is enlightening." William J. Collins, Southern Economic Journal "Students of the modern South will find valuable insights in this example of the 'new institutional economics' and also appreciate that the book is gracefully written with very little reliance on jargon." Roger Biles, The Journal of American History "Alston and Ferrie offer an intriguing example of why it is important on occasion to step back and take a look at the big picture." Daniel Clark, Labor History "This is a solid and valuable study. This book represents an important contribution to the study of labor relations and economic change in the American South. The authors argue persuasively that southern planter resistance to federal welfare policies involved much more than a devotion to cheap labor and a fear of outside interference." Enterprise & Society "The author's arguments are persuasive and do much to document adequately what conventional wisdom has long known: The Southern elite used its political and economic power to maintain a dependent labor force and espolited racial violence by lower-class whites to impel paternalism among black workers. Historians will not question the use of sociology and political science to augment the literatures in economics and history for this study." Agricultural History "In this important book, Lee Alston and Joseph Ferrie not only address the complexity of southern paternalism, but also carry forward the task suggested by their title--explaining how southern political interests affected the timing and expansion of the "welfare state" legislative program in the U.S...The main argument of the book is skillfully presented and convincing...The book performs several valuable services for the economic historian." EH.NET, Craig Heinicke, Baldwin-Wallace College "This book represents an important contribution to the study of labor relations and economic change in the American South." Enterprise & Society

Promotional

This book shows how paternalism in Southern agriculture helped shape the growth of the welfare state.

Review Quote

"This is a solid and valuable study. This book represents an important contribution to the study of labor relations and economic change in the American South. The authors argue persuasively that southern planter resistance to federal welfare policies involved much more than a devotion to cheap labor and a fear of outside interference." Enterprise & Society

Promotional "Headline"

This book shows how paternalism in Southern agriculture helped shape the growth of the welfare state.

Description for Bookstore

Combining insights from economics, political science and history, Professors Alston and Ferrie show how the timing and extent of the growth of the American welfare state from the Civil War until the mid-1960s was influenced by the southern agricultural elite.

Description for Library

Combining insights from economics, political science and history, Professors Alston and Ferrie show how the timing and extent of the growth of the American welfare state from the Civil War until the mid-1960s was influenced by the southern agricultural elite.

Details ISBN0521035791 Author Joseph P. Ferrie Short Title SOUTHERN PATERNALISM & THE AME Pages 184 Publisher Cambridge University Press Series Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions Language English ISBN-10 0521035791 ISBN-13 9780521035798 Media Book Format Paperback Year 2007 Imprint Cambridge University Press Place of Publication Cambridge Country of Publication United Kingdom Birth 1951 Edition 1st Residence US Illustrations 16 Tables, unspecified; 2 Line drawings, unspecified DOI 10.1604/9780521035798 UK Release Date 2007-03-23 AU Release Date 2007-03-23 NZ Release Date 2007-03-23 Publication Date 2007-03-23 Subtitle Economics, Politics, and Institutions in the South, 1865–1965 Alternative 9780511720529 DEWEY 361.610973 Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this

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