Political Parties US unfinished

how can the two major US parties be described

as loose coalitions

difference between US and European political parties

US parties have always been loose coalitions across different sectional groups whereas European parties traditionally draw support from distinct groups

realigning election

1932

New Deal

Roosevelt’s programme of social and economic reforms to try and alleviate effects of the Great Depression

new deal coalition

industrial workers, jews, African Americans, Catholics, white southerners

yellow dog democrats

A Southern voter who was unwavering in their loyalty to the Democratic party and would supposedly “vote for a yellow dog” before they’d vote for a Republican.

Solid South

the Southern Democrat vote from the civil war to the 1960s

why did the Democrats start to lose the south in 1960s

they had become increasingly associated with new social movements like civil rights and feminism and the blue collar south couldn’t relate

GOP

Grand Old Party, alternative name for the Republican Party

traditional republican coalition

big business, high income groups, rural interests

How did the South become solid for the Republicans so quickly

Nixon and Regan’s campaigns targeted disaffected southern democrats

Women’s vote since 1996

majority of women have voted for the democratic candidate every election since 1996

1972 difference between the parties

46% percent of voters thought that there were no important differences between the two parties

2012 difference between the parties

81% percent believed there were important differences

location of moderate/conservative democrats

South and Midwest

ideology

A collectively held set of ideas and beliefs

Bush 2000 campaign message

He was a compassionate conservative who wanted to use traditional conservative beliefs to help those left behind by government

example of democratic ideological divide

2016 primaries with Sanders out on the left and Clinton as more moderate

Christian right

conservative Christian groups closely linked to evangelicalism who favour family values, pro life policies and prayer in public schools

where are moderate republicans usually found

North east or the west coast

social conservatives

those who are conservative on social, moral and religious issues like abortion, same sex marriage and women’s rights but may be more moderate on economic issues

Fiscal conservatives

conservative on economic issues like reducing debit and the budget deficit and lowering of federal taxes

religion and voting 2016

56% of voters who attended a religious service at least once a week voted republican

when did red and blue America terminology emerge

1990s when commentators started to talk about a 50/50 America

characteristics of Red America

white, mostly Protestant (but also catholic because of abortion) and wealthy, rural or suburban and conservative

beliefs of red america

federal government does too many things that should be left to private business and individuals and federal income tax should be cut