---
title: "Political Realignments — AP Gov Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Political realignments are major, lasting shifts in which voter groups back which party, usually triggered by critical elections. Key for AP Gov Unit 5."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-gov/key-terms/political-realignments"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US Government"
unit: "Unit 5"
---

# Political Realignments — AP Gov Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

In AP Gov, a political realignment is a long-lasting shift in which voting constituencies support which party, often triggered by a critical election, that reshapes party coalitions and opens the door to major policy change (Topics 5.4 and 5.7).

## What It Is

A political [realignment](/ap-gov/unit-5 "fv-autolink") happens when big blocs of voters switch which party they reliably support, and the switch sticks. We're not talking about one swing election. A realignment redraws the basic map of who votes for whom, sometimes for decades. The classic example is 1932, when the Great Depression pushed urban workers, immigrants, African Americans, and Southern whites into the [New Deal coalition](/ap-gov/key-terms/new-deal-coalition "fv-autolink") behind FDR's Democratic Party, a coalition that dominated politics for a generation.

In the CED, realignments show up in two places. [Topic 5.4](/ap-gov/unit-5/how-why-political-parties-change/study-guide/T4gSvHQoZ3eRDUm4BYBt "fv-autolink") says party structure is shaped by **critical elections**, which it defines as elections where there is a realignment of party support among voters. Topic 5.7 adds the policy angle. Elections and parties are tied to major policy shifts, and occasionally those shifts produce realignments of voting constituencies. So realignment is both a cause and an effect. New coalitions let parties push big policy changes, and big policy changes (like civil rights legislation) can drive voter groups to switch parties.

## Why It Matters

This term lives in Unit 5 (Political Participation) and directly supports two learning objectives. [AP Gov](/ap-gov "fv-autolink") 5.4.A asks you to explain why and how parties change and adapt, and critical elections with realignments are listed as one of the three forces shaping party structure (alongside campaign finance law and communication technology). AP Gov 5.7.A asks you to explain how political actors influence policy outcomes, and the essential knowledge explicitly says elections and parties are related to major policy shifts that occasionally lead to realignments. Realignment is the concept that connects [voting behavior](/ap-gov/key-terms/voting-behavior "fv-autolink") to policy. If you can explain why a party would rewrite its platform to chase a demographic group, you understand party adaptation at the level the exam wants.

## Connections

### Critical elections (Unit 5)

A [critical election](/ap-gov/key-terms/critical-election "fv-autolink") is the trigger; the realignment is the lasting result. The CED defines critical elections as elections in which there is a realignment of party support among voters, so the two concepts are basically a cause-and-effect pair.

### Party adaptation and candidate-centered campaigns (Unit 5)

Topic 5.4 says parties adapt their policies and messaging to appeal to demographic coalitions. Realignments are why they bother. A party that ignores a shifting voter bloc can wake up on the losing side of a new coalition.

### Groups influencing policy outcomes (Unit 5)

[Topic 5.7](/ap-gov/unit-5/groups-influencing-policy-outcomes/study-guide/B5TNnriazkYfZFQtqakE "fv-autolink") puts realignments in the policy story. Interest groups, social movements, and parties compete to shape policy, and when a major policy shift lands, it can permanently move voter groups from one party to the other.

### [McGovern-Fraser Commission (Unit 5)](/ap-gov/key-terms/mcgovern-fraser-commission)

After the chaotic 1968 election, this commission opened up the Democratic nomination process to primaries. It's a concrete example of how electoral shocks force parties to restructure, the same logic that drives realignment.

## On the AP Exam

Expect this in multiple-choice questions on Topic 5.4, often paired with critical elections. A typical stem describes a scenario (a party loses a voter bloc after a major policy change, or rewrites its platform to win a new demographic) and asks you to identify it as realignment or party adaptation. No released FRQ has used the term verbatim, but it's a natural fit for the Concept Application FRQ, where you might explain how an election outcome affects party behavior or policy. The move the exam rewards is connecting the dots in order. A crisis or policy shift leads to a critical election, which realigns voter coalitions, which changes what policies become possible.

## political realignments vs Critical election

A critical election is the event; a realignment is the durable outcome. The critical election is the single election (like 1932) where the shift becomes visible, while the realignment is the long-term reshuffling of party coalitions that follows. The CED literally defines critical elections as elections where realignment happens, so think of them as snapshot versus era.

## Key Takeaways

- A political realignment is a lasting shift in which voter groups support which party, not just one unusual election result.
- Critical elections are the moments when realignments happen, and the CED lists them as one of the three forces shaping party structure in Topic 5.4.
- The election of 1932 is the classic example, when the Depression built the New Deal coalition behind the Democratic Party.
- Realignments connect elections to policy. New coalitions make major policy shifts possible, and major policy shifts can push voter groups to switch parties (Topic 5.7).
- Parties respond to realignments by adapting their policies and messaging to win over the demographic coalitions they need.

## FAQs

### What is a political realignment in AP Gov?

It's a significant, long-lasting shift in voting constituencies that changes party coalitions and can lead to major policy changes. The CED ties it to critical elections in Topic 5.4 and to policy outcomes in Topic 5.7.

### What's the difference between a realignment and a critical election?

The critical election is the single election where the shift shows up (like 1932), and the realignment is the durable change in party coalitions that follows. The CED defines critical elections as elections in which a realignment of party support occurs.

### Does every election cause a realignment?

No. Realignments are rare. Most elections shuffle outcomes without changing the underlying coalitions. Only a handful of critical elections, like 1860 and 1932, have produced lasting shifts in which groups back which party.

### What is the most famous example of a political realignment?

The 1932 election, when the Great Depression drove urban workers, immigrants, and African Americans into FDR's New Deal coalition, giving Democrats a dominant majority that lasted for decades.

### Why do political realignments lead to policy change?

A realignment hands one party a new, durable coalition and often unified control of government, which lets it pass major policy initiatives. Topic 5.7's essential knowledge says elections and parties are tied to major policy shifts that occasionally produce realignments of voting constituencies.

## Related Study Guides

- [5.4 How and Why Political Parties Change](/ap-gov/unit-5/how-why-political-parties-change/study-guide/T4gSvHQoZ3eRDUm4BYBt)

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