Expert Analysis
Shifting Party Coalitions & Social Welfare Policy, 1932 - 2008 - by Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater
Dr. Erkulwater discusses the evolution of politics and policy, and how they influenced one another, in the years since Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. She explains how issues of race, poverty, and social policy have affected presidential elections.
1965 Voting Rights Act & African-American Voting - by Dr. Brian Balogh
Dr. Balogh discusses the 1965 Voting Rights Act and its powerful effect on politics in the American South and African American voting.
The Background to 2008 - by Dr. Larry Sabato
Dr. Sabato discusses the elections and reelections of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and what those elections can tell us about what to expect in the 2008 election.
Most Significant Change in the Last Thirty Years - by Dr. Larry Sabato
Dr. Sabato discusses the most significant changes in political elections over the last thirty years, and the rise of independent and moderate voters in importance in recent elections.
Popular Vote and the Electoral College - by Dr. Larry Sabato
Dr. Sabato discusses the popular vote and the Electoral College, what they mean, and how maps of the Electoral College can distort our understanding of how people vote in different parts of the country.
The New Deal Realignment - by Dr. Dan Palazzolo
Dr. Palazzolo explains the historical forces that brought about the New Deal realignment, and the coalition forged within the Democratic Party from 1932 to the mid - 1960s.
The Concept of Realignment - by Dr. Dan Palazzolo
Dr. Palazzolo discusses the idea of political realignments, what they mean, and overviews the major events in realignments of the twentieth century.
Regional Realignment of the South - by Dr. Dan Palazzolo
Dr. Palazzolo discusses political transitions in the South, from 1948 to 2004, as the Democratic Party lost strength in the region to the Republican Party.
Voting in the Civil War - by Dr. Edward L. Ayers
Dr. Ayers discusses how Americans voted during the years leading to the Civil War, and the role elections played in bringing on the conflict.
