Want to order the book? Thank you! Here are a few places that have been particularly kind. Plus, Amazon.
From my Favorite Bookstores:
City Lights (Sylva)
Malaprop’s (Asheville)
Politics and Prose (Washington, DC)
Flyleaf (Chapel Hill)
Reviews and media appearances about Anatomy of a Purple State
Myron Pitts @ Faytteville Observer
DJ Martin (this one includes some lovely words about Phil Haire—all of which I endorse).
Conversation with Tim Boyum on his Podcast, Tying it together with Tim Boyum (Spectrum News)
Conversation with Chase Pelligrini de Paur from Indy week
Conversation with Julian Taylor from the Triangle Blog Blog
Conversation with Catherine Komp on NC Local News Workshop
Conversation with Skye David and Brian Lewis on the Do Politics Better Podcast
Conversation with Jeff Tibiri on Due South (WUNC)
Conversation with Mike Collins on Charlotte Talks (WFAE)
Errata
I may not like it, but mistakes are inevitable. Here is a list of mistakes/errors I know that are in the book. Please email me with any more that you notice and I’ll add them here. I am working on a new edition, and changes will be integrated into that edition (coming to a bookstore near you just in time for the 2028 primary elections).
Chapter 2, footnote 17: the title of the article is “When Republicans became Red and Democrats Became Blue” not “When Republicans Were Blue and Democrats Were Red”
Chapter 3, pg. 27, graph 2.2 note: All of the data are correct, but somehow (?) I wrote that Jimmy. Carter was the Democratic presidential candidate in 1960. Clearly, that is wrong (Carter wasn’t even in the Georgia state legislature at that point). The note should say “(John F. Kennedy)” where it says “(Jimmy Carter).”
Chapter 4, page 42: The word “presidential” should not appear between “1966” and “election.” Thanks to an eagle-eyed reader for pointing this out.
Chapter, 4 page 44, first paragraph: “To wit, there has never been a Black member of the general assembly elected West of Mecklenburg County.” This is wrong. Pearl Burris Floyd represented Gaston and Cleveland Counties from 2009 to 2011. Thanks to an unnamed, but much appreciated State Senator who pointed out this error.
Chapter 7, footnote 5: the Funk article was from November 10, 1987, not June 24, 1987.
Chapter 13, footnote 7: the title of the article should read “legislature’s” not legislators’”
Chapter 13, footnote 9: Should read May 23, 1981, not April 23, 1981
Chapter 13 footnote 15: Should read “provokes, not “provides” emotions.
Chapter by Chapter Materials
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Brown and Pope, "Measuring & Manipulating Constitutional Evaluations."
Dinan, American State Constitutional Tradition
Dinan, State Constitutional Policies
Orth. & Newby, North Carolina State Constitution
Rankin, Government & Administration
Orth, North Carolina State Constitution
North Carolina State Constitutional Study Commission
Waynick and Moore, "Constitutional Revision"
"Moore Calls for Study of NC Constitution"
"Oldest rate in the Barn”
“A Politician Opposes Constitutional”
“NC State Constitution Study Commission.”
“North Carolina Editors Speak”
“Moore v. Harper”
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Ford Visits State fair.
Whistle-stoppers
Detailed mapped
Ford, Carter in Virtual Trie
Hammond, North Carolina Called Key
Dunn, Candidates Target NC
Christensen, Mrs Bush Calls Husband Most qualified
Under the Dome, NC Merits a Visit by Both Doles
Wallsten & Pitts, “Edwards Placed on Gore’s Short List.”
Schouten & Raasch, “Ten Things to Know”
Beckwith, “Clinton Accused of Writing off North Caroilna”
WTVD, “President Trump Returning to North Carolina 1 Day After”
Cooper and Knotts, “Reliably Purple”
Link, Righteous Warrior
Christensen, the Paradox of North Carolina Politics
Noel, Political Ideologies.
Shuler Voteview/Nominate score
Enda, “When Republicans Became Red and Democrats Became Blue”
Jensen, “Congress Less Popular than Cockroaches”
Erikson, Wright, and McIver, Statehouse Democracy.
Tausanovich & Warshaw, “Measuring Constituent Policy Preferences.”
Berry et al., “Measuring Citizen and Government Ideology”
Caughey and Warshaw, “Dynamics of State Policy Liberalism”
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Williams, Murphy to Manteo
Hothouse to Hattaras
Key, Southern Politics
Fleer, North Carolina Government
Luebke, Tar Heel Politics 2000
Eamon, Making of a Southern Democracy
Ranking, Government and Administration in North carolina
Delli Carpini, Keeter, and Kennamer
Silbermann, Gender Roles
Hood and McKee, Rural Republican Realignment
US Census Bureau, “Nation’s Urban and Rural Populations”
Bitzer, Precinct polarization
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Caleb Crain, What a White Supremacist Coup Looks Like
David Zucchino, Wilmington’s Lie
Lilly Knoepp, “Macon County Group Remembers Mitchell Mozeley”
Acharya, Blackwell & Sen, Deep Roots
David Cunningham, Klansville, USA
Irwin Morris, “Partisan Politics in the 21st Century South”
William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun
Elmore, “Human, John Adams”
Bullock, Gaddie & Wert, Rise and Fall of the Voting Rights Act
Hood, Kidd, and Morris, The Rational Southerner
Maxwell & Shields, the Long Southern Strategy
Luebke, Tar Heel Politics 2000
Leloudis and Korstad, Fragile Democracy
James, “Political Pro with Race Baiting Past…”
Sullivan, “Even at the Turning of the Ride”
Bullock et al. Election of African American State Legislators
Cooper, Multimember Districts in State Legislatures”
Waler, “Flyers Containing False, Hurtful Statements..”
Grose, Congress in Black and White
Rankin, Government and Administration in NC
Fleer, North Carolina Government
Eamon, Making of a Southern Democracy
Luenke, Tar Heel Politics 2000
Barreto, Collingwood, and Manzano, “New Measure”
Bullock et al., South and the Transofmration of US Politics
Wilkinson, “North Carolina Latinos”
Gargan, “State’s 1st Indian-American Legislator Takes Oath of Office”
Bajpai, “Teaching Asian American History in NC Schools & Other…”
Berden and Masouka, “Growing Political Force”
Bonner, “First Asian American Woman Elected…”
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“A Divergence from Precedent”
Pitkin, Concept of Representation
McKusick, “Rep. Jane Pratt Popular Southern Gentlewoman”
McDaniel, “Historic All-Women City Council”
Brown, “Durham Voters Elect County’s…”
Shaw and Tesfaselassie, Status of Women
Holman, “Women in Local Government
Holman, “Sex and the City”
Caiazza, “Women’s representation in Local Office”
Swers, The Difference Women Make
Bratton, “Critical Mass Theory Revisited”
Tolleson-Rinehart, “Do Women Leaders Make a Difference”
Nickelson and Jansa, “Descriptive Representation…”
Richardson and Freeman “Gender Differences in Constituency Service”
Kathleen, “Power and Influence in State Legislative Policymaking”
Atkeson and Carrillo, “More is Better”
Jones, “Descriptive Representation of Gender”
Kliff, “The Research is Clear: Elected More Women Changes How Government Works”
Bos et al., “This One’s for the Boys”
Fox and Lawless, It Takes a Candidate
Lillian’s List
Arceneaux, “Gender Gap”
Hogan, “Influence of State and District Conditions”
Cooper, “Multimeber Districts and State Legislatures”
Shaw and Tesfaselassie, Status of Women
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House Bill 48 text (1977)
Rob Christensen, “Democratic, GOP Leaders Split”
Tim Funk, “GOP Primaries Open to Unaffiliated Voters”
Rob Christensen, “Parties Gear up to Run in ‘96” [part 1] [part 2]
Rawlins, “Independents’ Day is Here” [part 1] [part 2]
Hood and McKee, Rural Republican Realignment
Specht, Woodhouse says GOP is Winning”
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Arthur, “McDuffie Pins Hopes on Petitions”
Whitesell, “Democrats in Senate Race Snub Unaffiliated McDuffie”
Smith, “A Flair for Showmanship”
WFAE, “The ‘Berry’ True Story of How One Bill Became a Law
Rhee, “A First Candidate Not Tied to Party Wins House Seat.”
NCSBE, Unaffiliated Candidate Petitions
WFAE, “Independent Zytkow Petitions His Way onto City Council Ballot.”
Tamas and Hind, “Ballot Access Laws”
Duverger’s frequently cited and less frequently read classic Political Parties.
Dunleavy and Diwaker, “Analyzing Multiparty Competition”
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Fleer, North Carolina Government
Kingdon, Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies
“New Group in Raleigh to Keep Eye on State”
"Under the Dome, “Conservatives Plan a New Think Tank” [part 1] [part 2]
Hertel-Fernandez, “Who Passes Businesses’ Models Bills?
Hertel-Fernandez and Skocpol, “How the Right Trounced Liberals”
Hertel Fernandez, “Explaining Liberal Policy Woes”
Hertel-Fernandez, State Capture
Brody and Sollenberger, “Inside the Relentless Campaign to Ruin Madison Cawthorn”
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Shires, “North Carolina’s Legislative Building Completed”
Paletta, “The Most Hated of Architects.”
Squire, Evolution of American Legislatures
1946 Amendment
Amendment referenced in footnote 5
Amendment referenced in footnote 6
Burns, The Sometiems Governments
Gerry Cohen’s MA Thesis
Kevin Bacon
Grumm, “Effects of Legislative Structure”
Williamson, Morris, and Risk, “Institutional Variation”
Cullen, Pay Problem”
Squire, “Legislative Professionalism”
Story on Brian Turner and his camper (story by Tim Boyum. Because, of course it is).
Cooper, Innummeracy and State Legislative Salaries”
Fortunato, McCain and Schiff, “Public Support for Professional Legislatures.”
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Local Palate, “raditional Moravian Cookies” (sidenote: this book may not have everything ,but it is almost certainly the only state politics book that includes a cookie recipe).
German Lebkuchen cookie
“Safe surrender infants/safe sleep prog/ funds”
Shor, “Individual State Legislator” data
Masket, Inevitable Party
Abramowitz and Saunders “Ideological Realignment”
Jessica Jones, “Why did OBX State Rep Paul Tine Change his Affiliation to Independent”
Jon Evans “Veteran State Lawmaker Brisson Changing Parties”
Mark Binker, “Forysyth Legislator Switches Parties”
Kane and Curliss, “Black Ally Decker is Sentenced”
The IHOP bribe
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Heath Shuler’s Nominate score.
John Boyle, “Shuler Won’t Run for Re-election”
Campbell Robertson, “Shuler Seeks Party Shift to Right”
Bitzer, Redistricting and Gerrymandering
Seabrook, “One Person, One Vote”
Cooper et al., “NC General Assembly County Clustering”
Keena et al., Gerrymandering in the States
Orr, “Persistence of the Gerrymander”
“Political Pornography.” Wall Street Journal
Isaac Stanley-Becker, “Gun Enthusiast and Real-Life Boss Hogg Seizes GOP Mantle in Congressional Race Tained by Fraud”
Stony Rushing “Voters Beware Liberals and Gerrymandering”
“Senate Approves New Boundaries for Chamber”
David Daley, “The Secret Files of the Mastermind of Modern Republican Gerrymandering”
Art Pope’s Bill (House Bill 318)
Sheehan, “Governing by the Rule of Me”
Dan Way, “Senate Committee Approves Redistricting Map”
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Sievert and McKee, “Nationalization in U.S .Senate”
“Veto Power, Succession Needed for Strong Governor”
AP, “North Carolina House Committee OKs Bill to Shift Appointments”
Donsky, “Legislature’s’ Independence Could be Put to Test”
“Veto power, Succession Needed for Strong Governor”
White, “Gubernatorial Veto Bill Has Powerful Senate Foe”
“Martin Renews His Push for Veto”
Andrea M. Cashion, “Veto Issue is Primed for Public Vote.”
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Bluestein, County and Municipal Government.
Lee and Oppenheimer, Sizing up the Senate
Burnett and Prentice, “Exploration of How Partisanship Impacts Council Manager Systems”
Drescher, “Politics of North Carolina’s School Boards”
Harrison, “2 NC GOP Election Board Members Resign in Protest”
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Updated Graphs & Data Analysis
Graph 3.3. Swing Counties in NC (updated to include data from the 2024 election)
The discussion around Graph 7.1 discusses county partisan registration (pg. 73). Some of these numbers have now changed. An updated paragraph would read “By May 2025, unaffiliated voters were the largest group of registered voters in twenty-six (previously 22) counties and the second largest group in seventy-two additional counties (previously 74).” What follows is correct except that Republicans have now taken over Unaffiliated registrants in Currituck County.