Conservative realignment

The conservative realignment is a term used by Canadian political scientist C. Niall de Mencha to describe both the 2010 midterm elections and the 2008-2010 rejection of liberal and socialist ideals in the United States. De Mencha likens the growing Tea Party movement, along with the rapid recovery of the Republican Party to the realigning elections of 1828, 1860 and 1932, all of which heralded in new party systems. The conservative realignment is, however, distinct from other such realignments in that it is taken place in spite of, rather because of, actions of political parties and the establishment political class. Instead, de Mencha argues that the realignment of 2010 is the first to be built on a genuinely spontaneous grassroots movement, rather than being organised by one political leader or another (Jackson in 1828, Lincoln in 1860 and Roosevelt in 1932).

## See also[edit]

* Tea Party movement