Question

question 4 of 10

what factor helped woodrow wilson win the 1912 election?

a. william tafts conservative policies won him eight electoral votes.
b. the socialist party candidate eugene debs got about 6 percent of the popular vote.
c. the republican party was divided between william taft and theodore roosevelt.
d. black voters in the south werent allowed to vote in presidential elections.

Explanation:

Analyze the Election of 1912

Using the Woodrow Wilson Presidency knowledge point

The presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. The incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft faced a major challenge from former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. When Taft secured the official Republican nomination, Roosevelt and his progressive supporters split from the party to form the Progressive Party (often called the "Bull Moose Party").

Evaluate the impact of the Republican split

This deep division within the Republican Party split the Republican voting base between Taft and Roosevelt. As a result, the Democratic nominee, Woodrow Wilson, was able to win a large majority in the Electoral College and secure the presidency, despite winning only about 42 percent of the popular vote.

Assess the incorrect options

• Option A: While Taft only won eight electoral votes, this was a consequence of the split, not the primary factor that enabled Wilson's victory.
• Option B: Eugene Debs's popular vote share did not directly facilitate Wilson's victory.
• Option D: Disenfranchisement of Black voters in the South was a long-standing systemic issue, but not the specific political catalyst for the 1912 outcome.

Answer:

• A. William Taft's conservative policies won him eight electoral votes.
• B. The Socialist Party candidate Eugene Debs got about 6 percent of the popular vote.
• C. The Republican Party was divided between William Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. (Correct answer)
• D. Black voters in the South weren't allowed to vote in presidential elections.