The Color-Coded Divide: Party Politics in the American West, 1950–2024

An exploration of the changing political landscape in the American West over the past seven decades, as reflected in the color-coded maps used by the media to depict election results.

The American West is a vast and diverse region, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. It is home to a wide range of landscapes, from towering mountains to arid deserts, and a diverse population, with people from all over the world. The region has also been a political battleground for centuries, with the two major parties, the Democrats and Republicans, vying for control of the region's states and cities.

One way to track the changing political landscape in the American West is to look at the color-coded maps used by the media to depict election results. These maps show the results of elections at the county level, with each county colored according to the party that won the most votes. By comparing these maps over time, it is possible to see how the political landscape has shifted in different parts of the region.

In the 1950s, the American West was largely a Republican stronghold. This was due in part to the region's strong ties to the mining, ranching, and logging industries, which were traditionally Republican-leaning. However, the region also had a significant number of Democratic voters, particularly in the urban areas. As the century progressed, the political landscape in the American West began to shift. The region became more urbanized, and the number of Democratic voters increased. This was due in part to the influx of new residents from other parts of the country, as well as the changing demographics of the region's population.

By the 1980s, the American West was a closely divided region politically. The Republicans still had a slight edge in the region, but the Democrats were making gains. This trend continued in the 1990s and 2000s, as the Democrats became more competitive in the region's rural areas. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama became the first Democrat to win a majority of the vote in the American West since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

The 2010s saw a resurgence of Republican strength in the American West. This was due in part to the Tea Party movement, which energized conservative voters in the region. The Republicans also benefited from the unpopularity of President Obama, who was seen as too liberal by many voters in the West. In the 2016 election, Donald Trump became the first Republican to win a majority of the vote in the American West since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

The 2020 election saw the Democrats regain some ground in the American West. Joe Biden won the popular vote in the region, although he lost several states to Trump. The Democrats also made gains in the region's congressional delegation. However, the Republicans remain the dominant party in the American West, and it is unclear whether the Democrats will be able to maintain their gains in the long term.

The color-coded maps used by the media to depict election results provide a valuable tool for tracking the changing political landscape in the American West. By comparing these maps over time, it is possible to see how the political balance has shifted in different parts of the region. The maps also provide a reminder that the American West is a region of great political diversity, with no single party having a monopoly on power.