I have once again been approached by a student curious to learn about when the parties switched. The parties never switched. That’s a weird anachronistic myth perpetuated by a desire to project our current political divisions onto the past. 1/ First, it’s important to remember that parties don’t have to be ideological vehicles by definition. Parties, in Downsian language, are vehicles by which groups of people seek to win office and thereby control the government. They COULD be divided ideologically, and are now 2/