Realignment: New Party Coalitions and the Nationalization of the South

Among academic and non-academic observers the Reagan election provoked speculation about whether the party system was finally embarking upon a realignment whose symptoms had been visible for some time. The discussion rarely produced a consensus because definitions of realignment are neither explicit nor theoretical, but historical and descriptive. This paper extends an argument which defines realignments as changes in the social group coalitions which distinguish party supporters. It uses this definition to describe changes which have been underway for over twenty years; it identifies the significance of the South in the transformation, and it shows the realignment to be programmatically significant even if the Democratic party retains its numerical dominance.