1.I think that southern racist politicians used the term “law and order” to defend segregation as a way to blame the civil rights movements going on deeming them as “violent”. They also used this to gain a hold with poor southern white people and other people who supported segregation to gain votes. They used this term specifically because they could legally install a racial hierarchy without breaking any laws.

2.I think that the southern strategy is still strongly influencing politics to this day. The goal of the southern strategy is to get the vote of working class southern white people and try to divide people based on race promising to cater to white conservative voters in the south. One example is the former president Donald Trump during the BLM protests where he called protestors thugs and even before that where he has said some very controversial statements on different groups of minorities. This shows how he can get away with using rhetoric like that because a majority of people that are republican share these same views so they will agree with these statements no matter how prejudiced it may be.

1. Southern racist politicians strategically used the phrase “law and order” to blame the Civil Rights Movement for violence and gather support without facing legal consequences. Framing segregation as “law and order” made it seem legitimate. These became societal norms which is shaped by white leaders. Even though it’s now recognized as racist, this choice justified segregation to many during that time. This rhetorical strategy helped to protect them from criticism and made it more difficult for their opponents to gain traction with the public. This allowed them to present their position as a necessary measure to maintain stability. 
2. I think that the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics, particularly in terms of the Republican Party’s platform and messaging. One example is how they talks about immigration. Some people say that the Republican Party’s positions and language on immigration may disproportionately affect and distance minority communities, similar to Southern Strategy patterns.

1) Southern racist politicians utilized “law and order” rhetoric to cloak racial segregation as a necessary safeguard against perceived threats to societal stability. By invoking this language, they could legitimize discriminatory policies while tapping into white voters’ fears and prejudices, bolstering their political support base.

2) Yes, the Southern Strategy persists in American politics. Voter suppression laws and mass incarceration disproportionately target minority communities, mirroring historical strategies aimed at maintaining white supremacy. These policies uphold systemic inequalities, reinforcing the racial hierarchy reminiscent of the era of segregation and discrimination.

1. I think southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order “ because it secretes the truth of racism. The special advantages this gives them is more support to form a law against blacks .
2. I think the southern strategy is still influencing American politics because “ conservative whites began , once again to search for a new racial order that would conform to the needs and constraints of the time “

I have come to the conclusion from the second paragraph of Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow that the Southern racism politicians chose to present their argument for racial segregation as “law and order” because it was the simplest way to shift blame from the “violent” Civil Rights Movement to the “segregationist” movement. They were able to use these words because they were able to legally gather enough voters in support of the segregationist cause without incurring any legal consequences. I believe that the Southern Strategy continues to shape American politics in a variety of ways. For example, I would point to the current primary election as an example of how politicians such as Donald Trump use hurtful and offensive language towards minority communities knowing that he has the support of like-minded people. Political leaders often go the extra mile in their language because they know that their supporters will agree with them, even if that language is illegal, unethical, or immoral.

1.   Southern racist politicians choose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” because with this language it was easier for them to put the blame on The Civil Right movement to accomplish separation and oppression. The special advantages that these choices of words were going to give them is that they didn’t infringe the law by using racist language, but they were still able to target black citizens. “Law and order” language from politicians promoted voters to reject the Civil Rights movement and vote for politicians who promised to get rid of time.

2.    I do deeply believe that the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics because every candidate still promises the same thing which is that they will work on crime but to them that means incarcerating. Now that a pattern is set for the failure of black people it’s easier for the government to say it’s them. And I say pattern because most minority kids grow up with a family member in jail. This affects how they view the world, it’s normalized when it should be. So now it’s up to the politicians to point a finger at what is going on like during the War on Drugs. 

1. Why do think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?

• After reading the second excerpt out of Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” I was able to conclude that the Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation as “law and order” due to the fact that this was the easiest way to shift the blame onto the “violent” Civil Rights Movement. It was advantageous for them to use those words because it allowed them to legally rally enough voters who supported segregation to help them support their cause without legal repercussions.

2. Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.

• In my opinion, the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics in many ways. One example I would give is the way the current primary elections are going and how the politicians like Donald Trump utilize hurtful and abusive language against minority communities knowing he has the backing of similar minded people like him. Politicians often walk the line in what they say because they know their supporters agree with them even if it is something illegal, unethical or immoral.

1. We can see in the reading that, after Jim Crows was abolished and the civil rights came together Southern politicians that were segregationists, were desperate to save the Jim Crows from being completely abolished. In fact, especially in the south they kept the belief of separated races. At this time they needed a new way to separate the “races” what M. Alexander calls “the new Jim Crows”. That is when the language of “law and order” appeared. It was the perfect opportunity for the politicians, it look like they were fighting for the law and order in the U.S. But in reality, they were only using this language because it was a more political way to be racist. It also helped them creating a gap between the white and the black lower class.
2. Southern Strategy was built to inter people mind using for example the rhetoric. Southern Strategy is also used to separate people between ”races“ and more today. I think that the Southern Strategy as grown so much that it became a part of the political system. Not everybody uses it, since the country as evolved considerably. But segregation didn’t completely disappear from the U.S. And by maintaining a certain hate between people in difficulties (like for example the immigrants) and upper classes the Southern Strategy is able to maintain is placed and influence American politics.

1. Southern racist politicians chose to frame their racist agenda with law and order language because using such language made it easier to villainize and oppose the Civil Rights Movement. They realized if they could obtain enough support from voters that supported segregation, they could install a new racial caste system without breaking any laws or limits of acceptable political discourse. By highlighting tactics used by Civil Rights Activists as being in opposition of existing law, it was easy to frame the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement as a breakdown of law and order, and gain support through fear-mongering.
2. I do think the southern strategy is still influencing American politics because, as someone who spent several years living in the south, I can tell you that there is still a consorted effort by conservative Republicans to stifle the voice of minority citizens. Gerrymandering is one way that republicans have been able maintain political power in historically conservative states. “Gerrymandering is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The manipulation may involve “cracking” (diluting the voting power of the opposing party’s supporters across many districts) or “packing” (concentrating the opposing party’s voting power in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts)” (source). I have seen this firsthand to where it affects the power of votes for more liberal-leaning areas, as well as areas with a higher minority population in red states.

1. After reading the ideas of M. Alexander, we can analyze the importance of the use of language to avoid a law or on the contrary take advantage of the application of the law using determinate language. The language “Law and Order” was created to bring back the initial situation of people of color, where the inequalities, economic injustices, unemployment, and low income, take place again under the substitution to the language “Segregation Forever” of the Civil Rights Laws approved by the Federal Government. Was a new racially neutral language accompanied by the political movement of the affluent Southern.
2. The politics of the southern states are an integral part of American politics, as they also participate in the decision-making process in the US. Despite this, they maintain their autonomy as liberal states in the South. Presently, we are witnessing progressive changes in laws that are improving the social situation of the populations of both the liberal and conservative states. However, there still exists a silent racial war in some states. One example of the influence of Southern politics is the law allowing pro-abortion in some states of the US, which has created a divide between the belief in life and the concept of “women’s rights”.