This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(November 2020) |
The Reagan coalition was the combination of voters that Republican Ronald Reagan assembled to produce a major political realignment with his electoral landslide in the 1980 United States presidential election. In 1980, the Reagan coalition was possible because of Democrat Jimmy Carter's losses in most social-economic groups. In 1984, Reagan confirmed his support by winning nearly 60% of the popular vote and carried 49 of the 50 states.
The Reagan Democrats were Democrats before the Reagan years and afterwards, but who voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and for George H. W. Bush in 1988, producing their landslide victories. They were mostly white socially conservative blue-collar workers who lived in the Northeast and were attracted to Reagan's social conservatism on issues such as abortion and to his hawkish foreign policy. They did not continue to vote Republican in 1992 or 1996, so the term fell into disuse except as a reference to the 1980s. The term is not generally used to describe the Southern whites who permanently changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican during the Reagan administration and they have largely remained Republican to this day.
Stan Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, analyzed white, largely unionized auto workers in suburban Macomb County, Michigan, just north of Detroit. The county voted 63% for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and 66% for Reagan in 1984. He concluded that Reagan Democrats no longer saw Democrats as champions of their middle class aspirations, but instead saw it as being a party working primarily for the benefit of others, especially African Americans and the very poor.
The Reagan coalition began to fall apart after Reagan was ineligible for reelection in 1988. George H. W. Bush, Reagan's vice president, ran in 1988 and won the election over Democrat Michael Dukakis, but lost over 5 million votes and 100 electoral votes that Reagan won four years prior. In 1992, President Bush faced a competitive primary competition with Pat Buchanan, still winning the Republican nomination with 72% of the vote. Bush went on to lose the general election against Democrat Bill Clinton, with exit polling showing that George Bush retained 66% of the Republican vote while Bill Clinton won 12% and Ross Perot, an independent candidate, won 21%. In 1996, Republican Bob Dole lost to President Clinton, taking 68% of the Republican vote, improving on President Bush's margin, while President Clinton took 23% and Ross Perot 7%.
Voter groups and the presidential vote, 1980 and 1976 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% of 1980 total vote | 3-party vote | 2-party vote | ||||
1980 | 1976 | |||||
Social group | Carter | Reagan | Anderson | Carter | Ford | |
Party | ||||||
43 | Democratic | 65 | 26 | 6 | 77 | 22 |
23 | Independent | 30 | 54 | 12 | 43 | 54 |
28 | Republican | 11 | 84 | 4 | 9 | 90 |
Ideology | ||||||
18 | Liberal | 57 | 27 | 11 | 70 | 26 |
51 | Moderate | 42 | 48 | 8 | 51 | 48 |
31 | Conservative | 23 | 71 | 4 | 29 | 70 |
Race | ||||||
10 | Black | 82 | 14 | 3 | 82 | 16 |
2 | Hispanic | 54 | 36 | 7 | 75 | 24 |
88 | White | 36 | 55 | 8 | 47 | 52 |
Sex | ||||||
48 | Female | 45 | 46 | 7 | 50 | 48 |
52 | Male | 37 | 54 | 7 | 50 | 48 |
Religion | ||||||
46 | Protestant | 37 | 56 | 6 | 44 | 55 |
41 | White Protestant | 31 | 62 | 6 | 43 | 57 |
25 | Catholic | 40 | 51 | 7 | 54 | 44 |
5 | Jewish | 45 | 39 | 14 | 64 | 34 |
Family Income | ||||||
13 | Less than $10,000 | 50 | 41 | 6 | 58 | 40 |
15 | $10,000–$14,999 | 47 | 42 | 8 | 55 | 43 |
29 | $15,000–$24,999 | 38 | 53 | 7 | 48 | 50 |
24 | $25,000–$50,000 | 32 | 58 | 8 | 36 | 62 |
5 | Over $50,000 | 25 | 65 | 8 | — | — |
Occupation | ||||||
39 | Professional or manager | 33 | 56 | 9 | 41 | 57 |
11 | Clerical, sales, white collar | 42 | 48 | 8 | 46 | 53 |
17 | Blue-collar | 46 | 47 | 5 | 57 | 41 |
3 | Agriculture | 29 | 66 | 3 | — | — |
3 | Unemployed | 55 | 35 | 7 | 65 | 34 |
Education | ||||||
11 | Less than high school | 50 | 45 | 3 | 58 | 41 |
28 | High school graduate | 43 | 51 | 4 | 54 | 46 |
28 | Some college | 35 | 55 | 8 | 51 | 49 |
27 | College graduate | 35 | 51 | 11 | 45 | 55 |
Union membership | ||||||
28 | Labor union household | 47 | 44 | 7 | 59 | 39 |
62 | No member of household in union | 35 | 55 | 8 | 43 | 55 |
Age | ||||||
6 | 18–21 years old | 44 | 43 | 11 | 48 | 50 |
17 | 22–29 years old | 43 | 43 | 11 | 51 | 46 |
31 | 30–44 years old | 37 | 54 | 7 | 49 | 49 |
23 | 45–59 years old | 39 | 55 | 6 | 47 | 52 |
18 | 60 years or older | 40 | 54 | 4 | 47 | 52 |
Region | ||||||
25 | East | 42 | 47 | 9 | 51 | 47 |
27 | South | 44 | 51 | 3 | 54 | 45 |
22 | South (whites) | 35 | 60 | 3 | 46 | 52 |
27 | Midwest | 40 | 51 | 7 | 48 | 50 |
19 | Far West | 35 | 53 | 9 | 46 | 51 |
Community size | ||||||
18 | City over 250,000 | 54 | 35 | 8 | 60 | 40 |
53 | Suburb/small city | 37 | 53 | 8 | 53 | 47 |
29 | Rural/town | 39 | 54 | 5 | 47 | 53 |
The 1992 United States presidential election was the 52nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1992. Democratic Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeated incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush and independent businessman Ross Perot of Texas. The election marked the end of a period of Republican dominance in American presidential politics that began in 1968, and also marked the end of 12 years of Republican rule of the White House, as well as the end of the Greatest Generation's 32-year American rule and the beginning of the baby boomers' 28-year dominance until 2020. It was the last time the incumbent president failed to win a second term until 2020, when Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden; it was the first such occurrence since 1980.
The 1980 United States presidential election was the 49th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. The Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush defeated incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter and incumbent vice president Walter Mondale in a landslide victory.
The New Deal coalition was an American political coalition that supported the Democratic Party beginning in 1932. The coalition is named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, and the follow-up Democratic presidents. It was composed of voting blocs who supported them. The coalition included labor unions, blue-collar workers, racial and religious minorities, rural white Southerners, and intellectuals. Besides voters the coalition included powerful interest groups: Democratic Party organizations in most states, city machines, labor unions, some third parties, universities, and foundations. It was largely opposed by the Republican Party, the business community, and rich Protestants. In creating his coalition, Roosevelt was at first eager to include liberal Republicans and some radical third parties, even if it meant downplaying the "Democratic" name. By the 1940s, the Republican and third-party allies had mostly been defeated. In 1948, the Democratic Party stood alone and survived the splits that created two splinter parties.
A Reagan Democrat is a traditionally Democratic voter in the Northern United States, referring to working class residents who supported Republican presidential candidates Ronald Reagan in the 1980 or the 1984 presidential elections, or George H. W. Bush during the 1988 presidential election. The term Reagan Democrat remains part of the lexicon in American political jargon because of Reagan's continued widespread popularity among a large segment of the electorate.
This is the electoral history of Ronald Reagan. Reagan, a Republican, served as the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989) and earlier as the 33rd governor of California (1967–1975). At 69 years, 349 days of age at the time of his first inauguration, Reagan was the oldest person to assume the presidency in the nation's history, until Donald Trump was inaugurated in 2017 at the age of 70 years, 220 days. In 1984, Reagan won re-election at the age of 73 years, 274 days, and was the oldest person to win a US presidential election until Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election at the age of 77 years, 349 days.
The 1980 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4. Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in a landslide. Republicans picked up seats in both chambers of Congress and won control of the Senate, though Democrats retained a majority in the House of Representatives. The election is sometimes referred to as part of the "Reagan Revolution", a conservative realignment in U.S. politics and marked the start of the Reagan Era.
The Reagan era or Age of Reagan is a periodization of recent American history used by historians and political observers to emphasize that the conservative "Reagan Revolution" led by President Ronald Reagan in domestic and foreign policy had a lasting impact. It overlaps with what political scientists call the Sixth Party System. Definitions of the Reagan era universally include the 1980s, while more extensive definitions may also include the late 1970s, the 1990s, the 2000s, the 2010s, and even the 2020s. In his 2008 book, The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008, historian and journalist Sean Wilentz argues that Reagan dominated this stretch of American history in the same way that Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal legacy dominated the four decades that preceded it.
The 1992 United States elections elected state governors, the President of the United States, and members of the 103rd United States Congress. The election took place after the Soviet Union crumbled and the Cold War ended, as well as the redistricting that resulted from the 1990 Census. Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeated incumbent President George H. W. Bush and businessman Ross Perot in the presidential election. The Democratic Party maintained their control of both chambers of Congress. This is the first Democratic trifecta since the Republican victory in the 1980 elections and the last one during the 20th century and the last one overall until 2008.
The 1992 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place on November 3, 1992, as part of the 1992 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1992 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 3, 1992, as part of the 1992 United States presidential election. Voters chose 33 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Gallup was the first polling organization to conduct accurate opinion polling for United States presidential elections. Gallup polling has often been accurate in predicting the outcome of presidential elections and the margin of victory for the winner. However, it missed some close elections: 1948, 1976 and 2004, the popular vote in 2000, and the likely-voter numbers in 2012. The month section in the tables represents the month in which the opinion poll was conducted. D represents the Democratic Party, and R represents the Republican Party. Third parties, such as the Dixiecrats and the Reform Party, were included in some polls.
The 1988 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 8, 1988. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. The State of Washington was won by Democratic Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who was running against incumbent Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas. Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen, and Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 6, 1984. All fifty states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Nevada took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. State voters chose four electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Arizona took place on November 6, 1984. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. State voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, which selected the President and Vice President of the United States. Arizona was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with incumbent Vice President and former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Kansas took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States. Kansas was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with incumbent Vice President and former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.
The 1984 United States presidential election in Maine took place on November 6, 1984. All fifty states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose four electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States. Maine was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.
The 1980 United States presidential election in Kansas took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1992 presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush was an unsuccessful re-election campaign for 1992 United States presidential election by incumbent president George H. W. Bush, who had taken office on January 20, 1989. Bush and incumbent vice president Dan Quayle were defeated by Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton and vice presidential nominee Al Gore. Bush, a Republican president and former vice president under Ronald Reagan, launched his presidential bid on October 11, 1991 and secured nomination for his re-election on August 20, 1992. He was challenged in the Republican primaries by former White House Communications Director Pat Buchanan, who received less than one percent of the delegates in the Convention.