Maps and the American Identity

The American identity is a conflagration of values, ideas, and social norms. This being the case, it is impossible to map the American identity comprehensively. Instead, maps can illustrate sub-genres of the American identity, including gender, ethnicity, and politics. Not one of these attributes defines the American identity, but collectively they represent something more meaningful in the American experience. For example, presidential elections reflect changing attitudes and values in the United States. Mapping presidential election returns is even more illustrative of differing opinions and values. Presidential election results for the 2004 election are illustrated below.

Blue states are those states that went for John Kerry, while red states represent those states that went for George W. Bush. The apparent locational differences indicate cultural differences and, more specifically, political values. Democratic candidates are often associated with social programs and pacifism; whereas, Republican candidates are frequently associated with the religious right and war hawks. The 2004 presidential election map indicates where these values are predominant. Interestingly, Kerry dominates in populous coastal regions of the United States, including California and New York. Bush dominated the Midwest and the South. The most apparent commonality between the Midwest and the deep South is religion. While generalizations can be made from the 2004 presidential map, it begs more important questions. For instance, is geography a contributing factor in how people think and vote? Alternatively, are values responsible for the geographic disparities? Or, perhaps it is both. The argument could be made that the dense population centers of the blue states invite more diversity, and subsequently, more liberal thought. Political maps are useful in identifying where certain ideas reside, but they often invite more critical questions.