1. Aim: What causes party realignment? Do Now: What issues can identify that would change people’s voting patterns? How are the parties of today similar or different to how they were in the 19 th Century?

2. Critical or Realignment Period: Periods when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties. The issues that separate the parties change The kinds of voters supporting each party change Occurs when a new issue (slavery, the economy) cuts across existing party divisions and replaces old issues that were formerly the basis for party identification

3. Realignment Elections: Some political scientists believe there is a 30-36 year span in between realigning periods. These are some elections regarded as realigning or critical election, although not all political scientists agree on them. 1800: Jefferson 1828: Jackson 1860: Lincoln 1896: McKinley 1932: Franklin Roosevelt 1964/1968: Johnson/Nixon 1980: Reagan 2008: Obama???

4. By Party: Democrats from 1800-1860 Republicans from 1860-1932 Democrats from 1932-1968 Divided Government from 1968-2000 Republicans from 2000-2006 Democrats in 2008