The shift in parties was not about people switching parties and parties switching platforms, for the most part. If you observe, the parties have kept their economic positions but traded soocial positions.
Ehh...I wouldn't be so sure about that...Republicans have always been the more pro-business of the two parties, certainly, but note the following aspect of economic policy:
1880's/1890's: McKinley Tariff passed by Republicans, despite Cleveland's opposition.
2000's: Kerry expresses the need to protect our business from outsourcing and other foreign ills...
[Yes, I know it isn't perfect...Bush had the steel tariffs, and there are plenty of protectionist Republicans (but not many)].
I vote almost exclusively on economic policy, and I would have voted for the Democrats until 1896 (and not for the Republicans until 1908).
