Editing Dunklin County, Missouri (section)

====Political culture====
{{PresHead|place=Dunklin County, Missouri|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|8,096|1,885|70|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,135|2,200|84|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|8,026|2,360|192|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|6,850|3,636|165|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|7,044|4,540|180|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|6,720|4,901|56|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|5,426|4,947|152|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,766|5,428|979|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|4,024|6,277|1,178|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|5,026|5,281|13|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|6,092|4,967|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|5,253|6,120|157|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,314|7,107|22|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,926|2,776|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|4,366|5,063|2,903|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,465|8,467|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,708|6,568|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|4,943|8,698|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|5,400|9,515|9|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|2,466|10,979|16|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|4,274|8,431|27|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|5,516|11,132|32|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,775|10,233|58|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,977|9,141|93|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|3,602|4,879|20|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|3,436|4,357|259|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|4,455|5,199|309|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,924|3,723|386|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|987|2,723|1,538|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,638|2,734|286|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|1,461|2,229|108|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,276|2,711|73|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|961|2,975|6|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|659|2,167|170|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Democratic|719|1,838|0|Missouri}}

Historically, Dunklin County has tended to support [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] at the presidential level. A predominantly [[rural]] county in the heavily impoverished [[Missouri Bootheel|Bootheel]] with a fairly substantial [[African American]] population, Democrats at all levels have historically performed quite well in Dunklin County. [[Bill Clinton]] of neighboring [[Arkansas]] was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county in 1996; since then, Dunklin County has, like virtually all counties throughout the state, experienced a rapid trend rightward, as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] have been surging at the presidential level. Voters in Dunklin County have left their historically Democratic roots as Republicans hold all the local elected offices in the county, and statewide elections have done much the same.

Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Dunklin County generally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles but are more moderate or [[Populism|populist]] on economic issues, typical of the [[Dixiecrat]] philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]]—it overwhelmingly passed Dunklin County with 87.57 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban [[same-sex marriage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)|a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state]]—it failed in Dunklin County with 53.70 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve [[Embryonic stem cell|embryonic stem cell research]]. Despite Dunklin County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing [[Populism|populist]] causes like increasing the [[minimum wage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Dunklin County with 79.42 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.