▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁supported ▁labor ▁un ions . ▁Un ions ▁did ▁become ▁important ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁during ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Party ▁System . ▁However , ▁histor ians ▁have ▁long ▁deb ated ▁why ▁no ▁Labor ▁Party ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁that ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁spo iled ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁optim ism ▁and ▁ru ined ▁Republican ▁ch ances . ▁In ▁long - term ▁perspective ▁Al ▁Smith ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁started ▁a ▁vot er ▁real ignment — a ▁new ▁coal ition — based ▁among ▁eth n ics ▁and ▁big ▁cities ▁that ▁sp elled ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁class less ▁politics ▁of ▁the ▁Four th ▁Party ▁System ▁and ▁helped ▁us her ▁in ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Party ▁System ▁or ▁New ▁De al ▁coal ition ▁of ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t . ▁As ▁one ▁political ▁scient ist ▁explains , ▁" The ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁us her ed ▁in ▁the ▁Four th ▁Party ▁System ▁... ▁[ but ] ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁nom ination ▁of ▁Al ▁Smith , ▁a ▁n ort he astern ▁reform er , ▁did ▁Democr ats ▁make ▁g ains ▁among ▁the ▁urban , ▁blue - col lar , ▁and ▁Catholic ▁vot ers ▁who ▁were ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁core ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁De al ▁coal ition ▁and ▁break ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁minimal ▁class ▁polar ization ▁that ▁had ▁character ized ▁the ▁Four th