PANEL: Southern trends, cont'd

Winthrop's Dr. Adolphus Belk is analyzing statistical data on political ideology and religion in the South and how those factors are affecting change in the South.

-Despite the fact that a conservative ideology tends to dominate Southern politics, a recent Gallup poll reveals that an overwhelming majority of Democrats and a plurality of Republicans and independents are not in favor of drastic spending cuts in areas like health care and education. Another interesting poll revealed that a plurality of Southerners also believes that the government should increase its involvement in protecting the environment.

-Religion plays an important role in the lives of Southerners across racial and socioeconomic boundaries.

-Southern states are also performing poorly in the area of health, with Southern states well represented amongst the bottom states in terms of access to a healthy life and health insurance.

-The decline of productive manufacturing has lead to a society in which it's harder for lower- and middle-class workers to move up.

-The "up from the bootstraps" mentality behind Southern thinking fails to recognize government programs like GI Bill.

Governing Magazine's Richard Greene, a consultant for the Pew Center on the States, is up now, discussing the Pew Center's "Grading the States" project.