Red state, blue state: Neoliberalism, politics and public sector union membership in the US states

Abstract

Theories of Neoliberalism have acknowledged cross-national variations in Neoliberal trajectories but have been remiss in identifying subnational variations in the Neoliberal agenda. To explore this subnational variation, we examine the multifaceted Neoliberal attack on public sector unions in the 50 US states during the Tea Party era. We undertake a qualitative case study of four states as well as a quantitative historical study of all 50 states and find substantial regional variation between Southern and non-Southern states. In the non-South where public sector unionism is strong, we find that states that experience a transition from either Republican-to-Democratic or Democratic-to-Republican party control of state government experience declines in public sector union membership, but no such effect is found among Southern states where public sector unionism is already weak. Thus, despite variable events, circumstances and policy agendas in different states, Tea Party forces constrain state budgetary options and undermine public sector union membership.