Boll weevils (named for the type of beetle which feeds on cotton buds) was an American political term used in the mid-to-late 20th century to describe conservative Democrats, particularly Southern Democrats.

A Boll weevil Democrat was a conservative southern Democrat in the mid 1900s, largely known for his opposition to civil rights. They used the term because the boll weevil, a southern pest, could not be eliminated by pesticides – politicians therefore thought of them as a …

During the administration of Ronald Reagan, the term "boll weevils" was applied to this bloc of conservative Democrats, who consistently voted in favor of tax cuts, increases in military spending, and deregulation favored by the Reagan administration but were opposed to cuts in social welfare spending.

Mar 5, 2020 · In 1981, around fifty conservative southern Democrats in the House of Representatives, the so-called Boll Weevils, played a crucial role in the enactment of President Ronald Reagan’s economic agenda. The significance of this episode has thus far been underappreciated.

Dec 11, 2000 · Former Rep. Marvin Leath, 69, a conservative Texas Democrat who spent more than a decade in Congress. Leath was one of the founders of the “Boll Weevils,” a group of Southern Democrats...

The Dixiecrats were a group of Southern Democrats who broke away from their party in 1948 because they objected to the Democratic Party’s stance on desegregation. The Dixiecrats were also known as “States’ Rights Democrats” or boll weevil Democrats.

Mar 7, 1982 · Boll weevils, two-legged variety, did not necessarily have long snouts, but they devoured everything offered in the pork barrel. As Democrats from Southern states, they were the mainstay of the farm bloc.

The Boll Weevil Democrats was a bloc of conservative Democrats who consistently voted in favor of tax cuts, increases in military spending, and deregulation during Ronald Reagan's presidential administration.

In 1981, around fifty conservative southern Democrats in the House of Representatives, the so-called Boll Weevils, played a crucial role in the enactment of President Ronald Reagan's economic agenda.

May 13, 1982 · Called 'Boll Weevils', the group of mostly southern conservative Democrats told reporters Wednesday they have again broken with the House Democratic leadership. And once again they will have the...