A Study of Regional Voting Differences in U.S. Presidential Elections
by Brian DeCorla-Souza
The 2000 United States Presidential Election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was one of the closest in American history. Those who voted were split almost in half between the two candidates. The election, however, exemplified great regional divides across the country. Regions such as the Northeast and West Coast voted heavily in favor of Al Gore, while states in the South and the Midwest overwhelmingly went for George W. Bush. These voting patterns came as no surprise to the candidates, as they have been persistent in recent presidential elections. The knowledge of this behavior allowed the two candidates to focus their energies on the few states that were considered “toss-ups.” I will first establish the existence and depth of the regional divides in U.S. presidential elections. I will then examine the role in which the characteristics of race, income, religion, union membership, education, and urbanization play in determining why voters vote the way they do. Finally, I will look at the spatial variations of the population according to these characteristics in order to account for the regional divisions in U.S. presidential elections.
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Last Updated: March 28, 2005