▁term ▁used ▁in ▁political ▁science ▁and ▁history ▁for ▁the ▁period ▁in ▁American ▁political ▁history ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁that ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁except ing ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁split ▁in ▁which ▁Democr ats ▁held ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁for ▁eight ▁years . ▁American ▁history ▁texts ▁usually ▁call ▁the ▁period ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Era . ▁The ▁concept ▁was ▁introduced ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁" System ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 6 " ▁by ▁E . ▁E . ▁Sch att sch ne ider ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁number ing ▁scheme ▁was ▁added ▁by ▁political ▁scient ists ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁period ▁featured ▁a ▁transformation ▁from ▁the ▁issues ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Party ▁System , ▁which ▁had ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Re const ruction , ▁race , ▁and ▁mon et ary ▁issues . ▁The ▁era ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁severe ▁de pression ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁and ▁the ▁extra ordin arily ▁inten se ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁It ▁included ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Era , ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁and ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁caused ▁a ▁real ignment ▁that ▁produced ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Party ▁System , ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁Democratic ▁New ▁De al ▁Co al ition ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁central ▁domestic ▁issues ▁concerned ▁government ▁reg