Answer to Question 1
An ideal response will:
1, Describe the Democratic dominance from 1932 through 1968 under the New Deal coalition that was built on an alliance of workers, Catholics, Jews, unionists, small- and medium-sized farmers, urban dwellers, white ethnics, southerners, and blacks.
2, Identify that this coalition supported an expansion of federal government powers and responsibilities, especially in the areas of old-age assistance, aid for the poor, encouragement of unionization, subsidies for agriculture, and regulation of business.
3, Detail that the New Deal coalition began to disintegrate following the 1968 election of Republican Richard Nixon. The Democratic Party's support for civil rights, equal rights, and separation of church as well as the party's opposition to the Vietnam War caused white southerners, blue-collar workers, and religious conservatives to move to the Republican Party.
4, Note that the era of Democratic domination finally collapsed completely in 1980 with the Republican capture of the presidency and the Senate.
Answer to Question 2
An ideal response will:
1, Explain Madison's views about factions, which he defined as groups pursuing their self-interest at the expense of the broader public good.
2, Provide multiple examples of modern-day groups that would be considered factions, such as specific interest groups, political action committees (PACs), or even political parties.
3, Explain what goals each faction pursues and evaluate whether the group's activities work against the public good.