Political realignment
ESPECIALLY IN US HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Electoral Realignment; Political Realignment; American political shift; Critical election; Realignment election; Realigning election; Political realignments
A political realignment, often called a critical election, critical realignment, or realigning election, in the academic fields of political science and political history, is a set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leaders, regional and demographic bases of power of political parties, and the structure or rules of the political system, such as voter eligibility or financing. The changes result in a new political power structure that lasts for decades, replacing an older dominant coalition.