The Disintegration of the New Deal Coalition

Abstract

This article examines the unprecedented Republican victory in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which defied conventional expectations about off-year losses for the president’s party. The Democratic Party suffered a historic defeat, losing majorities in both chambers of Congress and several gubernatorial races. This shift marked the first time since Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency that Republicans held a majority in the House. The article analyzes key factors behind this outcome, including voter dissatisfaction with President Clinton and the rise of conservative leadership such as Newt Gingrich. It also highlights Republican gains at the state level, signaling a broader realignment away from the New Deal coalition. The study underscores the political dynamics that contributed to the decline of long-standing Democratic dominance.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)