The Seventh Party System is a proposed era of

American politics In the United States, politics functions within a framework of a constitutional federal republic, federal democratic republic with a presidential system. The three distinct branches Separation of powers, share powers: United States Congress, C ...

that began sometime around the 2010s or 2020s. Its periodization, alongside the

Sixth Party System The Sixth Party System is the era in United States politics following the Fifth Party System. As with any periodization, opinions differ on when the Sixth Party System may have begun, with suggested dates ranging from the late 1960s to the Rep ...

, is heavily debated due to the lack of an overwhelming change of hands in Congress since the end of the New Deal Party System.

Dating the Seventh Party System

Theories as to the beginning date of the Seventh Party system range from 2008 to 2020. Political scientists Mark D. Brewer and

L. Sandy Maisel Louis Sandy Maisel (October 23, 1945 – December 9, 2024) was an American political scientist. A longtime professor at Colby College, his work focused on U.S. elections and political parties, particularly candidate emergence, or why potential c ...

saying, "In the wake of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's 2016 presidential victory, there is now strengthening debate as to whether he United States isentering a new party system as Trump fundamentally reshapes the Republican Party and the Democratic Party responds and evolves as well." Donald Trump's 2024 re-election has led to major speculation and discussions on a potential political realignment due to voter demographic shifts. Trump's victories in all swing states, dominance with white working-class voters, and historic Republican gains with Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians have produced conversations on the emergence of the Seventh Party system in the American landscape. For example, in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, Trump significantly improved his margins among Hispanic voters in 2020 compared to 2016. In Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, Republicans increased their support among predominantly Latino counties and Zapata county (population less than 15,000) was the only county in South Texas that flipped red for the first time in a hundred years, and exit polls nationwide indicated increases in Trump’s support among Hispanic voters during the 2020 presidential election. Stating in 2025 that "'The Age of Trump' Enters Its Second Decade", Peter Baker of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote "In those 10 years, Mr. Trump has come to define his age in a way rarely seen in America, more so than any president of the past century other than

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

and

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

Characteristics of the proposed Seventh Party System

Proponents of the shift to the Seventh Party System note several recent shifts in demographics and voting patterns. Non-white voters, who historically have predominantly voted Democratic, have grown as a share of the population since the start of the Sixth Party System, and previously Republican-leaning secular college-educated white voters have moved to the left. At the same time, Republicans have made significant inroads with working-class white voters, while maintaining their favor with

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Christian voters.

Notes

References

{{Democratic Party (United States) 2010s in American politics 2020s in American politics Eras of United States history Proposals in the United States First presidency of Donald Trump 7th system

Dating the Seventh Party System

Characteristics of the proposed Seventh Party System

See also

Notes

References