Who’s Got Clout in the Deep
South?
Presentation by:
Tyler Reny & Brendan Scherer
Hrebenar-Thomas: The Ones With
Clout
H&T Top 20 in the Deep South…
Teacher’s Organizations
General Business Organizations
Lawyers
Bankers Associations
General Local Government Organizations
Insurance
General Farm Organizations
State and Local Government Employees
Individual Banks and Financial Institutions
Realtor’s Associations
“The South has always been the region where
groups have predominated, probably because of
the weakness of any countervailing force like
strong political parties. In our 1998 survey, the
South remained the region with the most powerful
interest group systems.”-The Hrebenar & Thomas
Study
Interest Group Power in the States, Clive S. Thomas and Ronald J. Hrebenar, State Legislatures Magazine: April 1999
Mississippi’s Top Contributors & Industries
(2007)
Top 3 Contributing Sectors
Top 3 Contributors
1) Party (35%)
2) Candidate Contributions (15%)
3) Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (15%)
1) Barbour for Governor-Party
2) Republican Governors Association-Party
3) John Arthur Eaves Jr.-Candidate Contributions
OF THE TOP 15 INDUSTRIES IN MISSISSIPPI…
Business
31%
Party
69%
National Institute on Money in State Politics 2006: http://www.followthemoney.org/
Alabama’s Top Contributors & Industries
(2006)
Top 3 Contributing Sectors
Top 3 Contributors
1) General Business (30%)
2) Party (15%)
3) Labor (10%)
1) Alabama Education Association-Labor
2) Business Council of Alabama-General Business
3) Alabama Farmer’s Federation-Agriculture
OF THE TOP 15 INDUSTRIES IN ALABAMA…
Party
22%
Union
7%
Business
71%
National Institute on Money in State Politics 2006: http://www.followthemoney.org/
Georgia’s Top Contributors & Industries
(2006)
Top 3 Contributing Sectors
Top 3 Contributors
1) Candidate Contributions (35%)
2) Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (20%)
3) Party (15%)
1) Mark Taylor-Candidate Contributions
2) US Chamber of Commerce-General Business
3) Republican Governors Association-Party
OF THE TOP 15 INDUSTRIES IN GEORGIA…
Party
26%
Business
74%
National Institute on Money in State Politics 2006: http://www.followthemoney.org/
South Carolina’s Top Contributors &
Industries (2006)
Top 3 Contributing Sectors
1) Candidate Contributions (45%)
2) Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (10%)
3) Transportation (10%)
*Top 3 contributors are all from the Candidate Contributions sector*
OF THE TOP 15 INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA…
Party
33%
Business
67%
National Institute on Money in State Politics 2006: http://www.followthemoney.org/
Industry & Contribution of the Deep South
Of the Top 15 Industries in the Deep South…
State Percent of Total Deep South Contribution…
MS
19%
Party
34%
Business
63%
AL
37%
Union
3%
SC
13%
GA
31%
Deep South Contribution
25
21
20
14
15
11
9
10
6
5
3
5
3
3
2
1
1
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National Institute on Money in State Politics 2006: http://www.followthemoney.org/
Alabama Farmers Federation
“Promoting the economic, social and educational interests of rural Alabamians”
Established in 1921
Today More than 460,000 members statewide
Contributions by Party 2006
-Agriculture: Alabama’s #1 industry
-48,000 farmers statewide
-$4.7 billion business
-476,000 jobs, 21% of state workforce
-Annual earnings of more than $9 billion
-$43 billion (22%) of state’s direct output
Democrat
33%
Republican
67%
*Gave $1,728,142 to candidates & party committees *