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Difficulty: EasyDemographic Shifts and Sun Belt Migration

"The population shift to the Sunbelt is a massive movement of jobs and people. Industries are attracted to the business-friendly climate, lower taxes, and cheaper land of the South and Southwest, leaving behind the aging industrial centers of the North. The political consequences of this migration are already becoming clear as power moves along with the population."
— Adapted from a national news report on regional economic trends, 1981

Based on the excerpt, which of the following was a direct political consequence of the demographic shift described?

  1. A gain in congressional representation and electoral votes for Southern and Western statesAnswer
  2. B
    A decrease in federal defense and aerospace spending in the region to limit economic growth
  3. C
    The creation of federal Great Society welfare programs to assist families relocating to the South
  4. D
    An increased reliance on federal demand-side government spending to stimulate job growth in the region

Answer

A gain in congressional representation and electoral votes for Southern and Western states
The correct answer is correct because the shift of population from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West led to a corresponding reapportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a redistribution of electoral votes, significantly increasing the political power of Sun Belt states.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the core demographic shift described.
The stimulus describes the migration of people and jobs from the Frost Belt (Northeast/Midwest) to the Sun Belt (South/West) in the late twentieth century.
Understanding the demographic direction of the migration is necessary to determine its consequences.
2
Evaluate the political consequences of regional population shifts in the United States.
Because representation in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College is determined by population, states gaining population gain political influence.
Connecting population shifts to constitutional representation allows for the identification of political effects.
3
Select the option that correctly describes the political outcome of this demographic trend.
Southern and Western states gained electoral votes and congressional seats at the expense of Northern and Midwestern states.
This matches the known historical outcome of the Sun Belt migration.

Key Concept

The political impact of demographic shifts and Sun Belt migration in the late twentieth century.
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Topics

Demographic Shifts and Sun Belt Migration

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