Question

question 6 of 10

what was the outcome of the 1980 presidential election?

a. ronald reagan won both the electoral and popular votes, while president carter experienced losses in every region.
b. president carter won the popular vote, while ronald regan won the electoral vote.
c. president carter won the electoral vote, but ronald reagan won the popular vote.
d. president carter won both the electoral and the popular vote, but ronald reagan won two states.

Explanation:

Analyze the 1980 election context

Using the Carter Presidency knowledge point
The 1980 election occurred during severe economic inflation, high unemployment, and the ongoing Iran Hostage Crisis, which significantly weakened public support for the incumbent, Jimmy Carter.

Evaluate the election results

Using the Reagan Coalition knowledge point
Ronald Reagan won a decisive victory, capturing 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49, and winning the popular vote by a margin of approximately 50.7% to 41.0%. Carter suffered losses across all major geographic regions of the country.

Match with the correct option

Comparing the historical outcomes to the choices:

• Option A correctly states that Reagan won both the electoral and popular votes, and that Carter experienced widespread regional losses.
• Options B, C, and D incorrectly attribute either the popular or electoral victory to Carter.

Answer:

• (A) Ronald Reagan won both the electoral and popular votes, while President Carter experienced losses in every region. (Correct answer)
• (B) President Carter won the popular vote, while Ronald Regan won the electoral vote.
• (C) President Carter won the electoral vote, but Ronald Reagan won the popular vote.
• (D) President Carter won both the electoral and the popular vote, but Ronald Reagan won two states.