Final answer:
A Dixiecrat was a member of the States' Rights Democratic Party, a segregationist offshoot of the Democratic Party formed in 1948 in response to civil rights initiatives. These Southern Democrats initially switched to forming their own party and later gradually realigned with the Republican Party, especially through the civil rights era and into the 1980s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term Dixiecrat refers to a member of the States' Rights Democratic Party, a political group that split from the Democratic Party in 1948. The Dixiecrats were Southern Democrats who opposed federal intervention in matters of segregation and civil rights. Initially, the Dixiecrats belonged to the Democratic Party, but they formed their own party in reaction to President Harry Truman's support for civil rights reforms. Strom Thurmond, a prominent Dixiecrat, ran against Truman in the 1948 election, demonstrating significant support among Southern whites for a pro-segregation, states' rights platform.
Over time, many southern Democrats who were disillusioned with the Democratic Party's support for civil rights legislation began to shift their allegiance to the Republican Party. This transition was more pronounced during the 1960s, culminating in the 1980 presidential election, when evangelical voters moved from supporting Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.
The formation of early U.S. political parties, such as the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, was based on differing views over the scope of federal government power. Similarly, new parties like the Whigs and Free Soil Party emerged due to disagreements on issues like state power and slavery. Party realignment is a recurring theme in U.S. political history, as seen with the shift of African American voters from the Republican to the Democratic Party during the Great Depression.