Political realignment

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A political realignment is a set of sharp changes in party-related ideology, issues, leaders, regional bases, demographic bases, and/or the structure of power within a government. In political science and political history, this is often called a critical election, critical realignment, or realigning election. These changes restructure political focus and power for decades, usually replacing an older dominant coalition. Scholars frequently invoke the concept in American elections, where it is most common, though it also occurs in governments across the globe. It is generally accepted that the United States has had five distinct party systems, each featuring two major parties that attract a consistent political coalition and follow a consistent party ideology, separated by four realignments. Two of the most apparent examples include the 1896 United States presidential election, when the issues of the American Civil War political system were replaced with those of the Populist and Progressive...

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