Thursday, October 09, 2008

Which America do you see?

If you read this blog you know I like infographics and design. I find both aesthetically and personally satisfying, but there's also real power in deciding how to display information.

For example, which of these maps more accurately represents electoral America in 2004?


The first is a familiar red/blue (GOP/Dem) map by electoral winner where each state is represented by its geography.

But elections aren't about geography; they're about voters. And the second map, where states take shape based on population, is a far more accurate representation of the 2004 results.

You can see more fascinating maps like this here.

Thanks to Matt at Snarkmarket for the pointer.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:22 AM

    Speaking of election maps, there are interactive maps for modeling the electoral college outcome of the 2008 vote. One site, 270towin (http://www.270towin.com/), lets you choose the winners of each state while tallying the elector count. You start with the states won in the 2004 election, or else a map reflecting the current state polls with the states color-coded as swing or leaning toward Mccain or Obama. It's quite possible that one swing state could determine the election.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andy Perdue4:02 PM

    Howard,

    I see an America with only 48 states.

    Andy Perdue

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:02 PM

    They're kissing! No, it's a vase! No! Wait!

    ReplyDelete

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