10 November 2012

Education levels and presidential preferences


Based on data published by FoxBusiness.com, the following table was posted by Happy Place (via The Tribune of the People and Reddit).

The correlation is made using percentage of a state's population over age 25 with a college degree.  Other parameters of educational achievement might show different results.

7 comments:

  1. LepraeNovember 10, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    I know that this chart was offered without comment, but it hits on something that comes up often. I am increasingly tired of Republicans being labeled as uneducated and stupid. Similarly, I am tired of Democrats as being labeled as lazy freeloaders. As always, stereotypes generally have some truthful origins but are rarely representative of the whole.

    I won't dispute the numbers in the graph and didn't investigate the claims further. I'll assume that they're true. One important factor that should be considered is that the Republican base is definitely older than the Democratic base. The number of people who attended college in the 65 and older category is substantially less than the 35 and below category. Although this denotes a lack of formal education, it should not imply a lack of intelligence.

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    1. MinnesotastanNovember 10, 2012 at 10:36 AM

      There are other possible explanations, some discussed at the Reddit thread. It doesn't mean that the people doing the voting are the uneducated ones. The uneducated ones could be voting for Obama, and the educated ones could be voting for Romney. What this chart shows is just a correlation, not a causation.

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    2. LepraeNovember 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM

      I agree completely. There are many possible explanations, and the chart alone does not make accusations.

      But all too often in the great political divide our country faces, each side seems to diminish the opinions of the other side to the point of being wholly inconsequential, because the members of that party are too stupid or too lazy or too whatever to possibly have a valid thought or opinion. Dismissing the viewpoints of those who think differently is a dangerous folly, and it further leads each party away from compromise.

      A bit off topic, but still somewhat relevant, I think.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 10, 2012 at 11:44 AM

    I believe what the chart shows is those who spent the most time being indoctrinated are more likely to present Stockholm syndrome.

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    1. JimNovember 10, 2012 at 12:36 PM

      So... studying say, science is being indoctrinated, by captors?

      Seriously, wake up.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 8:14 AM

    Forget how these states voted and just consider the education levels. That would take demographics out of the equation and highlight the importance southern states place on higher education. And picking up on the piece about the write-in vote for Darwin, I wonder what percentage of people in these states do not believe in evolution.

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  4. Paulo UgoliniNovember 12, 2012 at 5:22 AM

    One correlation I would like to see done is between the education level of voters and the strengh of the public service of education and the public educators' unions on each state. Teachers lean to the democratic party strongly, right?

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