Final answer:
The Republican Party emphasizes school choice and privatization, with a focus on state and local control over education. The Democratic Party advocates for maintaining strong public education systems, with an inclination towards federal involvement to ensure consistency across all states.
Step-by-step explanation:
The education platforms of the Republican and Democratic National Parties in 2016 can be distinguished by their stance on school choice and federal vs. local control of education. The Republicans emphasize school choice, advocating for options like charter schools and vouchers for private schooling, which aligns with their broader support for privatization in various sectors. In contrast, Democrats generally call for stronger public education systems and may advocate for aspects like standardized testing as a means to maintain national standards, although their primary emphasis on education is not defined solely by standardized testing.
Additionally, Democrats tend to favor federal involvement in education to ensure consistency across states, which may involve attaching conditions to federal funding to enforce national standards. Republicans endorse the devolution of powers, preferring state and local control over education, based on their principles of federalism and smaller national government footprint.