U.S. Demographic maps II

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Union membership by state:



Figures are from 2006.

If current trends continue then North and South Carolina will actually be more unionised than Texas and Georgia.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Not surprising in the least

[Padfoot]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

[Alcon]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

That, and oil in general.  Gun stuff doesn't help the Democrats either.  (I don't know so much beyond that.)

[Verily]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

That, and oil in general.  Gun stuff doesn't help the Democrats either.  (I don't know so much beyond that.)

I think that's more or less it. Each resident of Alaska gets a subsidy from the state from oil profits, a policy started by Republicans that has made them wildly popular there.

[minionofmidas]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

There is a strong social conservative presence as well.

[Padfoot]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

There is a strong social conservative presence as well.

Really?  Perhaps this is just media portrayal but I was fairly certain that religion is hard to come by in such a vast and sparsely populated state.  Aren't most Alaskans a little more socially libertarian?

[Smash255]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

There is a strong social conservative presence as well.

Really?  Perhaps this is just media portrayal but I was fairly certain that religion is hard to come by in such a vast and sparsely populated state.  Aren't most Alaskans a little more socially libertarian?

Yes, its really not socially conservative. 

[minionofmidas]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

There is a strong social conservative presence as well.

Really?  Perhaps this is just media portrayal but I was fairly certain that religion is hard to come by in such a vast and sparsely populated state.  Aren't most Alaskans a little more socially libertarian?

Yes, its really not socially conservative. 

There's both a large social conservative element, and a large small-l libertarian conservative element, and given Republican dominance in state politics, that makes for interesting primary battles at times. -_-

[Filuwaúrdjan]

% employed in manufacturing (2000 census)...

[muon2]

% employed in manufacturing (2000 census)...

The effect of non-manufacturing unions is apparent in a state like NV (and AK and HI).

[RBH]

Does Nevada have a labor force other than miners?

[Alcon]

Does Nevada have a labor force other than miners?

Entertainment employees?

[12th Doctor]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

Not everyone who is in a union wants to be in a union.  I was in a union once... biggest waste of my $10/week in my life.

Hell, I even protested it with managment who said that they would have no choice but to fire me, since they couldn't afford the actions the union would take against them (or me) if they had non-unionized employees.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not everyone who is in a union wants to be in a union. 

True as far as some states go, but you have to be careful about assuming that it has a big impact on union density in a given area; Nevada and Iowa are both "right to work" states, while neither Colorado nor New Mexico are. And fact that most of the South is "right to work" isn't the reason for the weakness of unions there; more like the other way round.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The following map is designed to give an indication of how working class a given area is; the variables are mainly occupation and housing tenure, but I also added a couple of other bits and bobs to make sure that the index isn't tilted too far towards urban areas (which, given the tendency for occupation statistics to tilt the other way, is somewhat ironic).
The numbers aren't %'s, they're scores. Note that most states (and state level is a very poor level to map this sort of thing; expect maps at lower level to be made soon) were either in the high '30's/low '40's or in the high '40's/low 50's, although there were exceptions to that (Maryland, West Virginia and Nevada for example).



Still, this is very much work in progress.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Wow so NY is down there with MS, SC and WV.

[Nym90]

Not everyone who is in a union wants to be in a union. 

True as far as some states go, but you have to be careful about assuming that it has a big impact on union density in a given area; Nevada and Iowa are both "right to work" states, while neither Colorado nor New Mexico are. And fact that most of the South is "right to work" isn't the reason for the weakness of unions there; more like the other way round.

Very true.

Plus, the opposite is also true; not everyone who isn't in a union doesn't want to be in one. I'd say it at least balances itself out if not moreso.

[Gabu]

Why does Alaska vote Republican if it is supposedly so unionized.  I was under the impression that they were not huge social conservatives so I always assumed they were voting on fiscal issues.  Is it b/c of ANWR and other environment related issues?

That, and oil in general.  Gun stuff doesn't help the Democrats either.  (I don't know so much beyond that.)

I think that's more or less it. Each resident of Alaska gets a subsidy from the state from oil profits, a policy started by Republicans that has made them wildly popular there.

Wait, so they effectively get bribed en masse to vote Republican?

Well, I guess it worked.