American voting patterns exhibit long periods of relative stability in the voters’ partisan preferences. This continuity, however, is occasionally interrupted by a sudden shift in party loyalties. This inquiry focuses on the shift of party loyalties in the 1850s which gave rise to the Republican party. During the 1850s, the national party system underwent a massive reorganization. At the beginn...

Intense competition for majority party control—a continuous reality since the Republican Party won control of the Senate in 1980—has transformed Senate floor politics. This article shows how minority party senators have exploited floor amendments for partisan purposes to a much greater extent in the post-1980 period than in the past. During the 1960s and 1970s, floor activism was a function of ...

For over a hundred years, the Republican Party used the word “liberal” positively in its platforms and proudly wore the liberal mantle. That may surprise you, but it is true. The finding comes from analyzing words used in all 40 Republican Party presidential year platforms from the party’s origin in 1856 to its 2012 election campaign. In contrast, the 44 Democratic Party platforms staunchly—but...