Democratic and Republican Party Compositions: Essay 18

Over the last several decades, the composition of the Democratic and Republican parties has changed in important ways. A major partisan shift has occurred in the South, but other demographic changes have also been identified. Changes in party composition are reflected at different rates in presidential elections than in congressional elections.  One specific trend evident in the figure above is that the percentage of House seats for Democrats has gone down.   Southern voters from 1948 to 2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing Democratic candidates for the presidency because of the incumbency advantage because even though Southern voters were voting for Republican candidates, they continued to vote for incumbent Democratic congressional candidates because of the incumbency advantage.  And because of gerrymandering, district lines have created safe seats/majority-minority districts, which protected Democratic seats even though there were more Republican voters in statewide presidential elections.  Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades including Catholics, women, and Social conservatives.  Catholics have become less reliable Democratic voters, women have become even bigger supporters of Democratic candidates, and Social conservatives have now become more reliable Republican voters, and are growing. 

Over the last several decades, the composition of the Democratic and Republican parties has changed in important ways. A major partisan shift has occurred in the South, but other demographic changes have also been identified. Changes in party composition are reflected at different rates in presidential elections than in congressional elections. (2010)

(a) Identify one specific trend evident in the figure above.

(b) Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to 2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing Democratic candidates for the presidency.

• Incumbency advantage
• Gerrymandering
• Differences between state and national parties

(c) Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades. Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in composition with respect to that group.

• Catholics
• Labor union members
• Women
• Social conservatives

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