Jun
22
Party Redux? 1932 and Today (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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(What is From the Field? Read our welcome to find out!) How are the characteristics of the Republican and Democratic parties from nearly a century ago relevant to political parties today? In more ways than one might think at first glance. As the coronavirus sweeps across the country, statistics show that unemployment rates are reaching a high […]
May
27
The Fourth Party System: Was It REALLY a Realignment? (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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(What is From the Field? Read our welcome to find out!) The fourth alignment of the American party system lasted from 1896-1932, with the election of 1896 considered the critical election. Republican William McKinley’s win, Stonecash and Silina note, “presumably produced a pronounced, abrupt, and enduring shift to the Republican Party… because the Republican win created a political alignment that […]
May
27
The More Things Change…The Value of Trends in the Fourth Party System (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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(What is From the Field? Read our welcome to find out!) For the two decades prior to the 1890s, neither the Democrats or Republicans maintained a stable majority; that status would change with the 1896 election of Republican William McKinley. As historian Marc Horger notes in “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” the election culminated in concerns over […]
Apr
20
Voter Disconnect: The Timeless Signal for Political Realignment (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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New to From the Field? Read the welcome post for the series! Spanning from 1860- 1896, the 3rd Party System initiated the still-enduring reign of the two-party system consisting of the Democratic and Republican parties. Although the platforms of these parties have substantially shifted since this time frame, the longevity of the parties themselves is a sign […]
Mar
13
The Second Party System: 1829 and 2019 Are Not So Different (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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Chloe Dickson (What is From the Field? Read our welcome to find out!) Republicans and Democrats often argue that they are the party of Lincoln. However, Lincoln’s presidency came at a time when the Democratic party split and the Republicans were a new party. While Lincoln was a Republican, modern definitions do not fit the […]
Feb
14
Lessons for Today from the Time of Hamilton (From the Field series: Political Parties in America)
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Zoe Smith “This nation had a two-party system” Hamilton The Broadway musical Hamilton likely made the first party system the most well-known. While much of the musical occurs before the first party system, it paints the key issues that colored the divide between the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists. As the United States first began […]
Feb
14
Welcome and Introduction to From the Field
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Welcome to From The Field! This blog series will feature student posts from the field of Political Science, during their “fieldwork” in their Politics classes and experiences at Messiah. From the Field Spring 2020 This spring, From the Field will highlight student posts that share findings from their research on US party system realignment, including […]