Final answer:
The answer is a) Republicans focus on federal intervention; Democrats emphasize local control, reflecting the Republican preference for local control over education versus the Democratic support for federal involvement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Considering the different governing philosophies of the Democrats and Republicans with regard to federalism and education, the correct answer would be choice a). This reflects the Republican preference for states' rights and local control over education, as opposed to the Democrats, who traditionally support more federal intervention in education to ensure national standards and consistency. The Republican National platform for education asserts that the federal government has too much influence over education, and they advocate for returning control to the states and local entities. Conversely, the Democratic platform often includes proposals for national policies on education, like common standards and federal funding incentives that may require certain conditions to be met by the states.