James L. Sundquist's
Theory of Partisan
Realignment
Dynamics of the Party System
A New Issue
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“A realignment is precipitated by
the rise of a new political issue (or
a cluster of related issues)”
1850s: slavery
1890s: economic hardship
1930s: economic hardship
1960s: race
Cross-cutting Cleavage
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“To bring about a realignment, the
new issue must be one that cuts
across the existing line of party
cleavage.”
Progressive
Conservative
Party
Party
New cleavage
line for new
cross-cutting
issue
New Party 1
New Party 2
Old cleavage line
Polarize the Community
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“To bring about a major
realignment, the new issue must
also be one powerful enough to
dominate the community.”
Race in the U.S.
Economic Depression
Combinations of race and
economics (Weimar Republic)
Issue Dramatization
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“The realigning issue must be one
on which major political groups
take distinct and opposing policy
positions that are easily
dramatized and understood.”
Old Cleavage Fades
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“Whether a new issue becomes
dominant depends not only on its
intrinsic power but also on the
extent to which the older issues
underlying the party system have
faded with the passage of time.”
The New Deal in the second-half of
the 20th Century
Race in the 1990s
Unequal Impact
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“A new issue is likely to have
greater inherent appeal to the
voters of one of the major parties
and thus potentially a more
disruptive effect on that party than
on the other party.”
This especially affects the out-ofpower party.
Straddling
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“The normal response of both
major parties at the outset is to
straddle the new issue.”
Slavery in the 1850s
Abortion in the 1970s
Congress is inherently a
compromising body.
The Issue vs. Electoral
Success
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“Within each of the political parties,
however, there form at each pole
political groups that are more
concerned with victory for their
position on the new issue than with
their party’s electoral success.”
Zealots
Opportunists
Established political leaders in
local areas
Favorable Conditions
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“The polar forces coalesce most
rapidly if the party out of power is
the one with the greater
predisposition toward an issue.”
Abortion and Republican party pre1980
Democratic party in 1890s
Democratic party in 1930s
A Third Party
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“If both major parties persist in
their straddle or come under the
control of polar forces opposing
change, then supporters of the
new issue at some point form a
third party.”
Whigs and the Republican party
The avoidance of the problem in
the 1890s: The Populists and the
Democratic Party