A Civil War Raging Within The Democrat Party

Question 1

How did the Democrats come out of the 1930’s?

Answer 1

. Had created a new, activist liberal state designed to prevent the return of the Great Depression.
. Used the government to defend the rights of labour
. Levelled the economic playing field that had tilted so steeply towards the wealthy

Question 2

What did the process of Democrat emergence from the 1930’s mean for the US?

Answer 2

. Led to the country being firmly behind the ‘Liberal Consensus’.
. As a result enabled the Democrats to expand FDR’s New Deal as well as work with moderate Republicans in order to cut Racist Southern Democrats out of the centrist coalition.

Question 3

What caused the Democrats centrist ideology to fall apart?

Answer 3

. In 1968 Nixon attacked it from the right by bringing white racists into the party.
. The Democrats destroyed it from the left by shattering over a Vietnam.