Which term describes a long-term shift in party coalitions and policy preferences?

• A. New Deal era.
• B. Realignment period.
• C. Critical election.
• D. Partisan drift.

Answer: (B)

Realignment period describes a long-term reconfiguration of party coalitions and policy preferences. It happens when broad voting blocs switch their allegiance and the major parties adjust their platforms to appeal to these new coalitions, producing a new political order that endures for a generation or more. A critical election signals the turning point that helps trigger a realignment, but the enduring shift is the realignment itself. Partisan drift is a slower, gradual change that doesn’t rewrite coalitions in as lasting a way. The New Deal era refers to a historical period associated with the Democratic coalition and New Deal policies, but the general term for the long-term shift in coalitions is realignment period.