The results of these critical elections vary from a change in the majorityparty to the replacement of both the majority and minority by new parties. TheCivil Wa... » 

The results of these critical elections vary from a change in the majorityparty to the replacement of both the majority and minority by new parties. TheCivil War realignment replaced the Whigs with a new party the Republicans. Inthe 1890s realignment the Democratic Party adopted the policy positions of athird party the Populists. The New Deal realignment saw the Democrats replacethe Republicans as the majority power. For each of these critical periods theauthor uses statistical analysis to examine the way electoral results affectedthe composition of the congressional parties the structure of committees thestrength of the party system and policy decisions. In the final chapter theauthor speculates on conditions for policy change outside critical electionperiods.lt «