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21st century conservative Democrats are similar to liberal Republican counterparts, in that both became political minorities after their respective political parties underwent a major political realignment which began to gain speed in 1964. Prior to 1964, both parties had their liberal, moderate, and conservative wings, each of them influential in both parties; President Franklin D. Roosevelt had proposed a realignment of the parties in the 1940s, though the trends which brought it about did not accelerate until two decades later. During this period, conservative Democrats formed the Democratic half of the conservative coalition. After 1964, the conservative wing assumed a greater presence in the Republican Party, although it did not become the mainstay of the party until the nomination of Ronald Reagan in 1980
B) In that the Democrat Party started out in 1800 as the champions of small government and States rights, and the GOP began in 1856 as the party of big givernment spending and the champions of African Americans, we already know that our political parties are subject to ideological evolution.
B) In that the Democrat Party started out in 1800 as the champions of small government and States rights, and the GOP began in 1856 as the party of big givernment spending and the champions of African Americans, we already know that our political parties are subject to ideological evolution.
C) Is this a history topic or a political topic?
C.
a bit of both but maybe the mod could uhaul it to political and controveries.
A. republicans, Fox news,Pundits, Dr martin luther kings niece alveda king
B.trust me it is not widely known
Political parties are dynamic entities, nobody denies this. In fact there have been numerous shifts in the two major parties.
Initially the Republican party was extremely pro-business. Abraham Lincoln after all was a corporate lawyer who made his living defending railroad companies against river shippers that sued them. During the Gilded Age, Republicans dominated American politics in that era of monopolies, trusts, and robber barons.
However, the Republican party changed completely with the Progressive Movement around the turn of the century. Concurrently the Democratic party became the pro-business party (thanks to "Bourbon Democrats"). This had largely reversed by the 20s with the likes of Coolidge and Hoover, who were Republicans that favored smaller government and limited intervention in the economy. Democrats on the other hand began another transformation to a more pro-labor stance in response.
During the Great Depression FDR rebuilt the Democratic party into a thriving national party. He is the sole reason Southern Democrats shifted to more pro-labor positions. Republicans gained some ground under Eisenhower, but the Democratic coalition still remained.
1960 was a pivotal year, most of the South shifted more Republican, with the margin of victory very close throughout the region. In 1964 there was additional change as Republicans implemented the "Southern Strategy." However, it failed miserably since Democrats retained House and Senate seats in the South and Goldwater only won in the South and no where else. In 1972 the original New Deal coalition was essentially broken since the South went for Nixon, so I believe that year counts as a realignment.
1980 was another turning point since Reagan managed to win (just barely) in the South. By 1988 the Democrats had captured most of the former liberal Republicans, while the Republican party had solidified most conservative factions from both parties. So another realignment that produced a much more partisan environment.
However the biggest change yet came in the mid to late 90s. During that period Deep South states finally broke nearly a century of Democratic control and began sending Republicans to Congress and to their state legislative bodies (and governors seats). Before 1994 it was unheard of for a white Southerner to vote for Republicans outside of presidential elections, so we have another realignment there that essentially left us with the parties in their current form.
Sorry for the ramble, but you can clearly see numerous 180 shifts in both political parties. Not only were there significant changes in their bases, but also ideological positions.
Initially the Republican party was extremely pro-business. Abraham Lincoln after all was a corporate lawyer who made his living defending railroad companies against river shippers that sued them. During the Gilded Age, Republicans dominated American politics in that era of monopolies, trusts, and robber barons.
However, the Republican party changed completely with the Progressive Movement around the turn of the century. .
Did it really? Many of the early Republicans such as Seward were pretty progressive in pushing for government involvement in building the nations's infrastructure and in public education. Teddy Roosevelt was much the same in that regard as opposed to the Taft wing of the party which was much more conservative than Seward, Lincoln and the other ex-whig early Republicans had been.
Did it really? Many of the early Republicans such as Seward were pretty progressive in pushing for government involvement in building the nations's infrastructure and in public education. Teddy Roosevelt was much the same in that regard as opposed to the Taft wing of the party which was much more conservative than Seward, Lincoln and the other ex-whig early Republicans had been.
The American political parties in the 19th and early 20th centuries if anything were more regional than ideological ; the GOP was a Northern and Western party, while the Democrats were rooted in the South, New York City, some other Northern big cities, and pockets elsewhere in the US (likewise there were a few GOP pockets in the Upper South, specifically Tennessee and North Carolina). The urban political machines were mostly Democratic but in some cities they were Republican. Both major parties had liberal and conservative wings. And not all the conservative Democrats were in the South, either ; there were Northern "Bourbon Democrats" like Grover Cleveland and Albert Ritchie who would've agreed with Taft on most issues.
However the last Presidential election in which the Republican was more liberal than the Democrat was 1904 - Teddy Roosevelt vs. Alton Parker.
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