ABSTRACT
Political parties, at least in theory, serve as a crucial mechanism of representation in American politics. This chapter argues that the Democratic Party alienated the white working class and that it is virtually impossible for the party to raise issues of equality of opportunity because the electorate sees such arguments as catering to minorities. The combination of a Democratic Party that responded to its difficulties and a Republican Party that shifted its electoral base and policy concerns in a conservative direction has resulted in lower-income voters comparing the two parties and increasingly gravitating to the Democratic Party, outside the South. If the electorate is reacting to broad party images that are becoming more different, and class political divisions are increasing, there should also be some effect on the consistency of partisan voting. It is widely stated that the electoral dealignment has occurred, split-ticket voting has increased, and that the political world is candidate-centered.
