A Sea-Change in American Politics?

[Paul Finkelman]

Actually Republicans did not "replace" the Whigs; it was far more
complicated; Republicans emerged after Whigs virtually disappeared; In
part Republicans also replaced Free Soil Democrats; and in the South
most Whigs had turned to KNow-Nothings, then Democrats.   

The Constitutional Union Party might have had a chance to win in 1860 --
it won more electorial votes than Stephen A. Douglas did.

Paul Finkelman
President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
     and Public Policy
Albany Law School
80 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, New York   12208-3494

518-445-3386 
pfink at albanylaw.edu
>>> Dennis Goldford <dennis.goldford at drake.edu> 01/21/07 11:28 AM >>>
The last time there was an actual replacement was in the 1850s, when 
the Republicans replaced the Whigs.  We've had only 5 major political 
parties in the U.S. (i.e., parties with a realistic chance of 
capturing control of one or more branches of the federal government), 
all born before the Civil War:  the Democratic-Republicans 
(Jeffersonians), the Federalists (Hamilton), the Whigs, the 
Democrats, and the Republicans.

Dennis Goldford


At 10:48 AM -0500 1/21/07, RJLipkin at aol.com wrote:
>         Can anyone direct me to sources describing and 
>explaining circumstances in which a new political party replaced one 
>of the two existing parties?  Also has there ever been a really 
>serious third party presidential election. I familiar with some of 
>the attempts, but can't recall whether any of those parties had a 
>realistic chance of prevailing. Thanks.
>
>Bobby
>
>Robert Justin Lipkin
>Professor of Law
>Widener University School of Law
>Delaware
>
>Ratio Juris, Contributor: <http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/> 
>http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/
>Essentially Contested America, Editor: 
><http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/>http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/
>
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-- 
Dennis J. Goldford
Professor, Dept. of Politics and International Relations
Director, Program in Law, Politics, and Society
Drake University
Des Moines, IA 50311
Office phone:  (515) 271-3197
Email:  dennis.goldford at drake.edu