The Conservative coalition, in the United States of America, was an unofficial Congressional coalition in American politics bringing together the conservative majority of the Republican Party and the conservative, mostly Southern, minority of the Democratic Party. It was most active from 1939 to 1963 but remained a potent force until the mid-1980s.

In its heyday, the coalition's most important Republican leader was Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, and the chief Democrats were Senator Richard Russell, Jr. of Georgia and Congressmen Howard W. Smith of Virginia and Carl Vinson of Georgia.

Between 1939 and 1963, the coalition was able to exercise virtual veto power over domestic legislation, and only limited liberal legislation was passed during this entire quarter century (most notably the very partial success of Truman's Fair Deal).

Under Democrat Lyndon Johnson liberals breached the power of the coalition by electing a liberal Congress in 1964, but the coalition regained strength in the U.S. Congressional elections of 1966. After the "Republican Revolution" in 1994, the Republicans took control of most of the conservative southern districts, so the Southern Democratic part of the coalition evaporated.

References

• Caro, Robert A. The Years of Lyndon Johnson: vol 3: Master of the Senate (2002).
• Fite, Gilbert. Richard B. Russell, Jr, Senator from Georgia (2002)
• Goldsmith, John A. Colleagues: Richard B. Russell and His Apprentice, Lyndon B. Johnson. (1993)
• MacNeil, Neil. Forge of Democracy: The House of Representatives (1963)
• Malsberger, John W. From Obstruction to Moderation: The Transformation of Senate Conservatism, 1938-1952 2000
• Moore, John Robert. "The Conservative Coalition in the United States Senate, 1942-45." Journal of Southern History 1967 33(3): 369-376. ISSN 0022-4642 Fulltext: Jstor, uses roll calls
• James T. Patterson. "A Conservative Coalition Forms in Congress, 1933-1939," The Journal of American History, Vol. 52, No. 4. (Mar., 1966), pp. 757-772. in JSTOR
• Patterson, James. Congressional Conservatism and the New Deal: The Growth of the Conservative Coalition in Congress, 1933-39 (1967)
• Patterson, James T. Mr. Republican: A Biography of Robert A. Taft (1972)
• Schickler, Eric. Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress (2001)
• Shelley II, Mack C. The Permanent Majority: The Conservative Coalition in the United States Congress (1983)
• Rohde, David W. Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House (1991)

See also

• Solid South
• New Deal coalition
• Democratic Study Group