Most of the attention paid to political geography this year has focused on the presidential race and the shrinking number of swing states that will decide the race. The impact of America’s geography and its effects on how Americans are represented, however, runs much deeper, impacting the balance of power in Congress and state legislatures.
The two top presidential candidates have spent the bulk of their time in seven states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada — because other states are so skewed toward Democrats or Republicans that they are relatively uncompetitive.
