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The '''Republican Party''' or informally the '''GOP''' (short for Grand Old Party), is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]].  The party is the U.S.'s major center-right party. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen, military veterans and evangelical Protestants, while the [[Democratic Party]] appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups. Some groups have realigned: blacks went from the GOP to the Democrats in the 1930s, while white Southerners became Republicans in the 1980s. Catholics switched from 80% Democratic in 1960 to 50-50 in recent years. In recent years youth and better educated professionals have moved to the Democrats, while blue collar workers have become more Republican. The GOP had a lock on the South since 1980, but that weakened in 2008 as the GOP lost presidential votes in every region. The elections of 2006 and 2008 marked back-to-back major gains by the Democrats in Congress, gibing them large majorities in both houses.

The '''Republican Party''' or informally the '''GOP''' (short for Grand Old Party), is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]].  The party is the U.S.'s major center-right party. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen, military veterans and evangelical Protestants, while the [[Democratic Party]] appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups. Some groups have realigned: blacks went from the GOP to the Democrats in the 1930s, while white Southerners became Republicans in the 1980s. Catholics switched from 80% Democratic in 1960 to 50-50 in recent years. In recent years youth and better educated professionals have moved to the Democrats, while blue collar workers have become more Republican. The GOP had a lock on the South since 1980, but that weakened in 2008 as the GOP lost presidential votes in every region. The elections of 2006 and 2008 marked back-to-back major gains by the Democrats in Congress, giving them large majorities in both houses.

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. It soon swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominated the elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth Party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  However the Democrats built a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.  

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. It soon swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominated the elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth Party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  However the Democrats built a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.