"The Leaving It": The Election of 2000 at the Bar History

Abstract

In analyzing the 2000 US presidential election, of particular interest have been the elections of 1876 & 1888, in which the winner of the popular vote lost the electoral college, & that of 1968, which many have cited as bringing about a near-complete realignment of the American political landscape. This claim of political realignment in 1968 is, however, questionable, & it is instead more apparent that a true political realignment has not taken place at all in the 20th century. In fact, it can be argued that the elections of 1992 & 1996 resulted in perhaps the most distinct patterns of realignment since the 1800s, spurred in part by Perot's strong showing in 1992. The 2000 election accentuated the country's 8-year division along party, geographic, & ethnic lines, while the election's aftermath served only to strengthen this division. Though the existing political gulf between the two dominant parties must be overcome, the task will prove difficult. 4 Figures. K. A. Larsen