Richard Nixon on Civil Rights:

1960 Campaign as a Diagnostic Piece of Events

Abstract

Historians assessing Richard Nixon's position on civil rights have changed several times. During the 1960 presidential campaign, Nixon openly defended civil rights including support of government action to ensure fair treatment in employment and education. However, in 1968 election, Nixon had won support from white Southerners in opposing busing and judicial activism. Political scientists have tried to explain Nixon's change based upon theoretical prediction of “issue saliency,” i.e. Nixon's shift was caused in viewing northern black voters as the critical swing voters in 1960 to viewing southern whites as necessary for his victory in 1968. However, I evaluate this prior explanatory hypothesis is insufficient in explaining Nixon's change: why Nixon changedhis position on the issue is still open to further inquiry. Relying upon primary sources that shed light on this puzzle, I revisit the 1960 presidential election as a diagnostic piece of historical events in explaining Nixon's change.