The geography of American presidential elections has recently emerged as a topic of considerable interest and profound controversy. After the 2000 general election, many observers partitioned this country into a “Red America” of resolutely Republican-voting states and a “Blue America” of strongly Democratic-voting states. Prominent critics of the model, however, contend that the electorate is not nearly as polarized as the two major parties are, and that centrist political sentiments prevail across most parts of the country. Others think that Americans are indeed split into two increasingly antagonistic camps, but argue that the geographical patterns of this division seldom follow state lines, as most states are themselves split between “blue” and “red” regions. Some evidence suggests that population density is the critical variable, with the more densely populated parts of the country voting for the Democratic Party, and the less densely settled areas supporting the Republicans. But no matter how one frames the issue, exceptions can be found.
Complex configurations of electoral geography in the United States are not new. Different areas of particular states have often voted in distinctive manners, and the distinctions among urban, suburban, and rural voting behavior are of long standing. But over time, the voting patterns have repeatedly changed. During some periods of American history the opposing parties have enjoyed commanding leads in particular regions of the country, whereas at other times national elections have been competitive in most states. Major geographical realignments of party support have also occurred. In fact, the map of the 1996 Presidential election is almost the inverse of that of 2000; many of the counties of California that were once the most reliably Republican-voting are now among the strongest supporters of the Democratic Party. Whether such shifts in partisan allegiance indicate changes in underlying ideology, however, is a different matter altogether, as the major parties themselves have switched positions on a number of important issues.
This map-intensive course explores the geography of U.S. presidential elections in detail, examining voting patterns down to the level of individual counties and cities. We will begin with a survey of global electoral geography before turning to the geo-history of voting in the United States. The 2000 and 2004 general elections will be mapped and analyzed in particular detail. The final session (held after the November 4 election) will examine the geographical patterns revealed by the 2008 election.
