Introductory Note

The following four essays examine the phenomenon of the Sunbelt from a number of perspectives.

Alfred J. Watkins begins by examining the rapid growth of the Sunbelt. He argues that the attraction of the Sunbelt region to business can be traced to the region’s low wages, modest taxes, limited unionization, and meager welfare benefits. The Sunbelt’s “good business climate,’` he continues, has also provided corporations and their political allies with a weapon to u...