After reading “The seven political states of Pennsylvania” by David Weigel, I became more informed on the voter distribution in Pennsylvania, and I noticed common patterns between demographic and party. The Philadelphia, Southeast (Levittown), and Allegheny (Pittsburgh) regions tend to vote blue, while the Dutch country (Harrisburg, Lancaster, York), Central (State College), West, and Northeast (Scranton and Allentown) commonwealths tend to vote red, and overwhelmingly so. The blue regions all had a higher share of people living in cities than average, higher/average non-White residents than average, and with the exception of Philadelphia, more college-educated residents than average. Upon analyzing, these patterns make logical sense to me: cities and colleges tend to be more liberal/progressive areas, and produce people with such ideas. In addition, a greater non-white population would be less likely to vote for a party that supports immigration restrictions, white privilege, etc. In contrast, the red regions had a lower share of people living in cities than average, fewer non-White residents than average, and fewer college-educated residents than average. Dominated by rural areas, conservatives, and whites, it is no surprise that voters from these areas tend towards Republican candidates.
Overall, the map by Lauren Tierney effectively draws connections between voter demographics and candidate/party, from the number of residents in cities to race and education. All these factors play important roles in deciding which way a vote will go, and the map shows how location can influence these factors.
One reply on “Pennsylvania & Politics”
Hello Emily. I agree that this portrayal of voting trends in Pennsylvania was very helpful in illustrating the political scene across the state. This forced me to really examine Pennsylvania as different commonwealths instead of one large region with a general label or description. I also liked that the author included the information that you mentioned above (i.e., the percentage of city residents as opposed to residents living in more rural regions) because it helped me gain a better understanding of these regions apart from just how they voted.