The Reagan coalition was the combination of voters that

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Ronald Reagan assembled to produce a major

political realignment A political realignment, often called a critical election, critical realignment, or realigning election, in the academic fields of political science and political history, is a set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leaders, regional ...

with his electoral landslide in the 1980 United States presidential election. In 1980, the Reagan coalition was possible because of

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

's losses in most social-economic groups. In

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, Reagan confirmed his support by winning nearly 60% of the popular vote and carried 49 of the 50 states. The

Reagan Democrat A Reagan Democrat is a traditionally Democratic voter in the Northern United States, referring to working class residents who supported Republican presidential candidates Ronald Reagan in the 1980 or the 1984 presidential elections, or Georg ...

s were Democrats before the Reagan years and afterwards, but who voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and for George H. W. Bush in 1988, producing their landslide victories. They were mostly white socially conservative blue-collar workers who lived in the Northeast and were attracted to Reagan's social conservatism on issues such as abortion and to his hawkish foreign policy. They did not continue to vote Republican in 1992 or 1996, so the term fell into disuse except as a reference to the 1980s. The term is not generally used to describe the Southern whites who permanently changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican during the Reagan administration and they have largely remained Republican to this day. Stan Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, analyzed white, largely unionized auto workers in suburban

Macomb County, Michigan Macomb County ( ) is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Michigan, bordering Lake St. Clair, and is part of northern Metro Detroit. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 881,217, making it the third-most populous c ...

, just north of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. The county voted 63% for

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

in 1960 and 66% for Reagan in 1984. He concluded that Reagan Democrats no longer saw Democrats as champions of their middle class aspirations, but instead saw it as being a party working primarily for the benefit of others, especially African Americans and the very poor. The Reagan coalition began to fall apart after Reagan was ineligible for reelection in 1988. George H. W. Bush, Reagan's vice president, ran in 1988 and won the election over Democrat

Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis (; born November 3, 1933) is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history a ...

, but lost over 5 million votes and 100 electoral votes that Reagan won four years prior. In 1992, President Bush faced a competitive primary competition with Pat Buchanan, still winning the Republican nomination with 72% of the vote. Bush went on to lose the general election against Democrat

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

, with exit polling showing that George Bush retained 66% of the Republican vote while Bill Clinton won 12% and Ross Perot, an independent candidate, won 21%. In 1996, Republican Bob Dole lost to President Clinton, taking 68% of the Republican vote, improving on President Bush's margin, while President Clinton took 23% and Ross Perot 7%.

Voter demographics

{, class="wikitable" , - ! colspan=7 , Voter groups and the presidential vote, 1980 and 1976 , - ! rowspan=3 , % of
1980
total
vote , , colspan=3 , 3-party vote , colspan=2 , 2-party vote , - , , colspan=3 , 1980 , colspan=2 , 1976 , - ! Social group ! Carter ! Reagan ! Anderson ! Carter ! Ford , - ! !! Party !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , Democratic , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 65 , style="text-align:right;" , 26 , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 77 , style="text-align:right;" , 22 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 23 , Independent , style="text-align:right;" , 30 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 12 , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 28 , Republican , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 84 , style="text-align:right;" , 4 , style="text-align:right;" , 9 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 90 , - ! !! Ideology !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 18 , Liberal , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 57 , style="text-align:right;" , 27 , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 70 , style="text-align:right;" , 26 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 51 , Moderate , style="text-align:right;" , 42 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 48 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 31 , Conservative , style="text-align:right;" , 23 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 71 , style="text-align:right;" , 4 , style="text-align:right;" , 29 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 70 , - ! !! Race !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 10 , Black , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 82 , style="text-align:right;" , 14 , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 82 , style="text-align:right;" , 16 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 2 , Hispanic , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 36 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 75 , style="text-align:right;" , 24 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 88 , White , style="text-align:right;" , 36 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 52 , - ! !! Sex !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , Female , style="text-align:right;" , 45 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 46 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 50 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 52 , Male , style="text-align:right;" , 37 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 50 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , - ! !! Religion !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , Protestant , style="text-align:right;" , 37 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 56 , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , style="text-align:right;" , 44 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 41 , White Protestant , style="text-align:right;" , 31 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 62 , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 57 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 25 , Catholic , style="text-align:right;" , 40 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 44 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 5 , Jewish , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 45 , style="text-align:right;" , 39 , style="text-align:right;" , 14 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 64 , style="text-align:right;" , 34 , - ! !! Family Income !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 13 , Less than $10,000 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 50 , style="text-align:right;" , 41 , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 58 , style="text-align:right;" , 40 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 15 , $10,000–$14,999 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 47 , style="text-align:right;" , 42 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , 55 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 43 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 29 , $15,000–$24,999 , style="text-align:right;" , 38 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 53 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 50 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 24 , $25,000–$50,000 , style="text-align:right;" , 32 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 58 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , 36 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 62 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 5 , Over $50,000 , style="text-align:right;" , 25 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 65 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , — , style="text-align:right;" , — , - ! !! Occupation !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 39 , Professional or manager , style="text-align:right;" , 33 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 56 , style="text-align:right;" , 9 , style="text-align:right;" , 41 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 57 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , Clerical, sales, white collar , style="text-align:right;" , 42 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 48 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 53 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 17 , Blue-collar , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 47 , style="text-align:right;" , 5 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 57 , style="text-align:right;" , 41 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , Agriculture , style="text-align:right;" , 29 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 66 , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , style="text-align:right;" , — , style="text-align:right;" , — , - , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , Unemployed , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 55 , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 65 , style="text-align:right;" , 34 , - ! !! Education !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , Less than high school , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 50 , style="text-align:right;" , 45 , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 58 , style="text-align:right;" , 41 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 28 , High school graduate , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 4 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 28 , Some college , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 49 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 27 , College graduate , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , style="text-align:right;" , 45 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , - ! !! Union membership !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 28 , Labor union household , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 47 , style="text-align:right;" , 44 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 59 , style="text-align:right;" , 39 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 62 , No member of household in union , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , - ! !! Age !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , 18–21 years old , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 44 , style="text-align:right;" , 43 , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 50 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 17 , 22–29 years old , style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;" , 43 , style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;" , 43 , style="text-align:right;" , 11 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 31 , 30–44 years old , style="text-align:right;" , 37 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;" , 49 , style="text-align:right; background:#d0c0d7;" , 49 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 23 , 45–59 years old , style="text-align:right;" , 39 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 55 , style="text-align:right;" , 6 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 52 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 18 , 60 years or older , style="text-align:right;" , 40 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 4 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 52 , - ! !! Region !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 25 , East , style="text-align:right;" , 42 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 47 , style="text-align:right;" , 9 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 27 , South , style="text-align:right;" , 44 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 45 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 22 , South (whites) , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 60 , style="text-align:right;" , 3 , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 52 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 27 , Midwest , style="text-align:right;" , 40 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , style="text-align:right;" , 7 , style="text-align:right;" , 48 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 50 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 19 , Far West , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 53 , style="text-align:right;" , 9 , style="text-align:right;" , 46 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 51 , - ! !! Community size !! !! !! !! !! , - , style="text-align:right;" , 18 , City over 250,000 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 35 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 60 , style="text-align:right;" , 40 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 53 , Suburb/small city , style="text-align:right;" , 37 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 53 , style="text-align:right;" , 8 , style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" , 53 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , - , style="text-align:right;" , 29 , Rural/town , style="text-align:right;" , 39 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 54 , style="text-align:right;" , 5 , style="text-align:right;" , 47 , style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" , 53 * Source: CBS News/''The New York Times'' interviews with 12,782 voters as they left the polls as reported in ''The New York Times'', November 9, 1980, p. 28. 1976 data are from CBS News interviews.

Voter demographics

See also

Further reading