Civil Rights Protests and Election Outcomes: Exploring the Effects of the Poor People's Campaign

D. Mark Anderson (), Kerwin Kofi Charles (), Krzysztof Karbownik, Daniel I. Rees () and Camila Steffens ()
Additional contact information
D. Mark Anderson: Montana State University
Kerwin Kofi Charles: Yale University
Daniel I. Rees: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Camila Steffens: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

No 16667, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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; election outcomes; voting behavior; protests; race (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 I30 J15 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 64 pages
Date: 2023-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-his and nep-pol
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Working Paper: Civil Rights Protests and Election Outcomes: Exploring the Effects of the Poor People's Campaign (2023)
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