Courses

The political geography of the United States has undergone some important transformations in recent decades, with new swing states emerging and several former “purple” states moving into the “safe red” or “safe blue” electoral categories. At a more local level, most rural areas have swung in the Republican direction while many formerly Republican-voting suburbs have shifted toward the Democratic Party. Such changing patterns will be crucial in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

This map-intensive course explores in depth the historical geography of US presidential elections from 1788 to the present. We will examine the main issues involved in each election and see how the candidates fared in different parts of the country. Voting patterns will be analyzed at both the state and county levels, and for more recent elections, we will delve into individual precincts and neighborhoods. We will also consider the ethnic, economic, and educational characteristics of different places to see how they influence election results. These patterns, too, are in flux, as educational attainment has recently emerged as one of the best predictors of voting behavior and as some demographic groups are moving in new political directions. The final lecture will examine how these complex factors played out in the election of November 5, 2024.