Louisiana Petro-Populism and
public services in the city of New
Orleans
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By Brian Marks and Christian Roselund
Huey Long, 1893-1935
What is petro-populism?
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A political system whose primary feature is the
redistribution of oil and gas revenues through one or
more means for the benefit of the general population
Term first coined by journalist and author Christian
Parenti to describe the Chavista regime in Venezuela
Longite Petro-Populism is an oil production/ votes/
public services deal between big oil companies,
Longite political leaders and the masses in the state of
Louisiana.
The role of public services in the city
of New Orleans
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Services such as public schools, Charity Hospitals and
housing under-girded the social reproduction of New
Orleans residents
In the early decades, public housing provides a quality
of life not otherwise available to many urban residents
Increased the productivity of New Orleans residents
Public funding for such services was particularly
important for New Orleans as an economically underdeveloped city with high, persistent poverty
Longite Petro-Populism and the
New Deal
Longite Petro-Populism:

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Predates the New Deal (first major features
established in 1928)
Is an influence on the New Deal via the roads
programs, “Share Our Wealth”, and political
threat that Huey Long posed to Roosevelt.
Becomes a regional variant on the New Deal
after the Death of Huey Long and the basic
political economy of the state of Louisiana
Longite Petro-Populism and the
New Deal contrasted
Longite Petro-Populism

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Based on a resource
extraction economy
Public services/votes
deal
Direct connection
between charismatic
leader and the masses
The New Deal

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Based on a
manufacturing economy
Wages/productivity deal
Unions mediate between
working people,
corporations and the
state
Petro-populism: inputs and outputs
Inputs

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Oil and gas
severance taxes
Outputs

Gasoline tax

Roads and bridges
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Charity hospitals
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Other taxes

Bonds

Federal money
(after death of

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Education (largely
through severance
taxes)
State old age
pensions
Welfare systems
Petro-populism: outputs for New
Orleans
New Orleans is a primary beneficiary of Longite
Petro-Populism

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Education: Including textbooks, adult literacy,
UNO, LSU medical school, scholarships,
teacher pay increases and equalization.
Public hospitals: Funding for Charity, medical
training, associated services
Old age pensions: Increased to $50/month
under Earl Long in 1948
Welfare programs: Including free school
The special case of public housing
•
Public Housing is not a Longite promise or
concept, but a product of the New Deal
•
New Orleans receives a large share of federal
funds for public housing, and these funds are
used swiftly by the Longite Maestri
Administration
•
Fits into the scheme of Longite public services
(votes for services), but on a federal level
Crisis of race 1960
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Longite petro-populism is a system that provides
services to all state residents, but those services are
profoundly unequal on racial lines
This becomes unacceptable in the post-war period
Public services - schools, hospitals and housing – are a
primary battleground of integration and equality
Longite petro-populism is class-based and race-neutral,
which does not hold up during a time of heightened
racial tension
Whites de-invest from the city and public services
regime starting in the late 1960's
Frantz Elementary, 1960
Crisis of oil production 1970
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Mineral wealth, both in production and consumer
forms, is the primary fuel of petro-populism
Louisiana fails to obtain its share of the OCS oil
wealth, starting in 1948
Oil and gas production in Louisiana land and state
waters peaks in 1970 and declines steadily thereafter
Prices fall 1984-1986, leading to a collapse of the
system and a fiscal crisis in Louisiana