[2024 美대선 백과사전]〈5〉 Swing state
‘Purple State’, a combination of Democratic Blue and Republican Red
This year, 6 places were selected, including Nevada and Georgia.
Many of the 50 states in the United States tend to consistently support either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party every election. On the other hand, there are states that go back and forth between the two parties every election. It is a ‘swing state.’ This means that votes go back and forth like a swing.
Swing states are also called ‘purple states’. Regions where the Democratic Party has consistently shown strength, such as California and New York, are called ‘blue states’ in reference to the Democratic Party’s color, blue. Regions where the Republican Party is dominant, such as Texas and Alabama, are called ‘red states’ for the same reason. Like ‘purple’, which is a combination of the colors of two political parties, it is difficult to estimate the votes of swing states. Accordingly, various lawsuits are frequent after each presidential election.
American political media outlets such as The Hill select six states, including Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, as key battleground states for the 2024 presidential election. These places played a big role in the victory of former President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election and President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania were previously considered Democratic strongholds. However, during the 2016 presidential election, former President Trump, the Republican candidate, defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in this region. In particular, he became the owner of the White House by targeting low-income white workers.
Georgia also had a large Republican base in the past, but President Biden won in 2020. Analysis suggests that after the 2008 global financial crisis, northern residents, many of whom were Democratic voters, moved south in search of mild weather and relatively low prices. In addition, as the economy of Atlanta, the capital city where the headquarters of Coca-Cola and CNN are located, boomed, the influx of young people increased.
The election results of competitive states play an important role in determining the final winner of the presidential election. When the election information website ‘Ballotpedia’ analyzed the results of a total of six presidential elections from 2000 to 2020, the rate of Nevada’s winner becoming the owner of the White House was 83.3%, the highest among the 50 states. Due to the region’s proximity to the Mexican border, the immigration agenda is given priority. This is the point where the policies of the two parties greatly clash.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.