Final answer:
As of 2012, the South has seen a political realignment with the Northeast and urban areas voting Democratic and the South and rural areas voting Republican, reflecting an ongoing shift in U.S. politics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The realignment of the South has meant that as of 2012, the post-Civil War allegiances have flipped, with urban areas and the Northeast becoming solidly Democratic, and the South and rural areas predominantly voting Republican. This shift reflects a political system that now provides Republicans with considerable advantages in rural areas and most parts of the Deep South, while Democrats dominate urban politics and those parts of the South known as the Black Belt, where the majority of residents are African American. These changes represent the ongoing realignment described as the Sixth Party System, where no one party consistently controls the presidency, and demographic shifts such as the immigration of Latino and Asian individuals, most of whom vote for Democrats, contribute to the evolving political landscape.