Question

which of the following can be determined from this map representing the election of 1960?

the electoral college favored nixon
the popular vote was extremely close.
kennedy won by a landslide

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Analyzing Historical Maps and Data
Reading visual data to draw historical conclusions

Step 1: Analyze the question and options

The question asks what can be determined from a map representing the United States presidential election of 1960.

Let's evaluate the historical facts of the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon:

• The electoral college favored Nixon: This is incorrect. Kennedy won the electoral college vote \(303\) to Nixon's \(219\).
• Kennedy won by a landslide: This is incorrect. While Kennedy won the electoral vote comfortably, the popular vote was one of the closest in history, separated by a margin of only about \(0.17\%\).
• The popular vote was extremely close: This is a key characteristic of the 1960 election. However, we must consider what a standard electoral map shows. An electoral map displays the distribution of electoral votes by state. When looking at the 1960 electoral map, the visual balance of red (Republican/Nixon) and blue (Democrat/Kennedy) states is highly mixed and competitive, showing no single candidate dominating the geographic landscape, which reflects how incredibly close the overall contest was.

Step 2: Determine the correct option

Because the map shows a highly divided nation with states won by very narrow margins and a split electoral distribution, it demonstrates that the race was highly competitive. Among the choices provided, the statement that can be determined or is historically supported by analyzing the close division of the 1960 election map is:

• The popular vote was extremely close.

Answer:

The popular vote was extremely close.