Robert AmesNov 12, 2022
WolfH

These two maps are a good example how data visualization influences our perception. Same election, same results, but one shows the winning party by area, one by population density. (Map Credits: Karim Douïeb, Jetpack.ai)

Edit: This is not based on the midterms this week. I wanted to point out the difference in visualization. It was originally done in 2019

Nov 12, 2022 at 11:39amWeb
Show threadKeaTikiNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Indeed, never forget, maps need careful interpretation.
Show threadMichele Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I’ve always found the U.S. population density map fascinating because the population abruptly dwindles at the midpoint. Like people got to the Mississippi River and said, nope, I’m not crossing that.
Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@Michele the mid-western plains (the dust bowl) were historically hard to settle on, same with the Rockys of course. And trade (sea ports) had a huge influence on population distribution.
Show threadYvonne Aburrow 🌻Nov 12, 2022

@mistakenotmy @Michele it’s also to do with the rain shadow of the Rockies and the big deserts 🏜 ⛰ 🏔

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwJABxjcvUc

Why 80% of Americans Live East of This Line

YouTube
Show threadDavid J. AtkinsonNov 12, 2022
@Michele @mistakenotmy Or, they tried to cross the river and failed. 🤷🏼‍♂️
Show threadJeff konradNov 12, 2022

@mistakenotmy

The visualisation by county is deeply misleading

Show threadCorvus Moon StudioNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I love this - It always seems so dismal during election cycles to see the media throw up the rural red counties.
Show threadThe Liberal & Radical EchoNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Land doesn't vote.
Show threadCazDoesPoliticsNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I've always thought the left map is misleading, it's lazy of media sites to use it (or biased, if it's a deliberate choice to skew perceptions).
Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@cazdoespolitics I don't think it's deliberate in most cases (though it has been used by a not-to-be-named former president to strengthen his "point").
Show threadCazDoesPoliticsNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Maps are inherently political, choices in representing information involve making decisions about what to prioritise. In this case, whether to represent the US in ways that the population recognise, but compromise on the size of political party influence, or to emphasise political size over recognisability. The reasoning for that choice is absolutely linked to intent. The former creates the perception of republican power, the latter democrat power.
Show threadCazDoesPoliticsNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy This is another way of representing the same information, this time by seats, an effort to make a choice that represents reality without bias towards one or the other. The choices that are made in what maps are used carry implicit messages about those making the choice.
Show threadbhorstNov 13, 2022
@cazdoespolitics @mistakenotmy The first map implies overwhelming red power, while the second shows a much closer balance that you have to parse carefully to understand its nuance. That close balance, sometimes red winning, sometimes blue, is the reality we live in, so I think it is the better choice. But it’s also harder to absorb at a glance, which may be why it’s not used by broadcasters.
Show threadChristian BaumgartnerNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy It's that time of the election cycle again 😀
Show threadjust AshNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy And the reason that we say the one on the left is misleading is, of course, that "land doesn't vote."
Show threadKathleen Fuller, PhDNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I use those maps and the Nobody Lives Here map when I teach.
Show threadDavid J. AtkinsonNov 12, 2022
@KathleenFuller @mistakenotmy Now let’s see and overlay of your map with either/both the political maps.
Show threadKathleen Fuller, PhDNov 12, 2022
@meltedcheese @mistakenotmy
Here's another way of looking at population. This is the 2016 election.
Show threadHil67😏Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy
Seems to be more blue than red in the second picture.
Show threadVireo olivaceus 🇺🇦Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Thanks for sharing this eye-opening map comparison. Now, how about a map or chart of US #Senate members, showing not just party affiliation but also the number of people that each one actually represents? Then, on to a world map of historical (but still #climate wrecking) GHG emissions, adjusted by population?
Show threadbhorstNov 12, 2022
@V_olivaceus @mistakenotmy You could place two circles on each state to represent their senators, color coded by party. The size of each circle could show how many constituents they represent. Should be eye-popping!
Show threadDanielNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Absolutely amazing. Thanks.
Show threadMossyNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy The vast white area represents roughly 40 Republican senators.
Show threadIt's That Guy From That ThingNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy indeed. Land doesn’t vote, people do.
Show threadJames BaillieNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Which election is this? Noting that Maricopa is red so we're somewhere pre-2020 I think?
Show threadRich McCueNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy great example of the use and abuse of infographics to tell the story that you want rather than striving to represent reality accurately!
Show threadT.WllmsNov 12, 2022

@mistakenotmy

how current are those maps?... 2020?

Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@tdwllms1 yes 2020
Show threadT.WllmsNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy
Thanks,
I'll be curious to see the map from this midterm... ..
Show threadbhorstNov 13, 2022
@tdwllms1 @mistakenotmy I think the graphic shows the 2016 presidential election. One spot that makes it easy to compare is the Phoenix metro, in the center of AZ, which was red in 2016 and blue in 2020. You can see a detailed comparison of the two elections here — https://data.rgj.com/presidential-election-results-compare-2016-2020/
Reno Presidential Election Results Comparison

How much has the map changed from when Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016? With results updating every hour, this interactive U.S. map holds the answer. Click on the counties below to see how Trump and Joe Biden's 2020 performance compares with the 2016 vote.

Reno Gazette-Journal
Show threadT.WllmsNov 13, 2022
@bhorst @mistakenotmy
definitely different... thanks...
Show threadBruce Bell-MyersNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy this appears to be an article about the same maps / maker. Interesting read. https://www.fastcompany.com/90572489/u-s-election-maps-are-wildly-misleading-so-this-designer-fixed-them
Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@bellmyb yes, Karim Douïeb has done some great works about this.
Show threadTim KelloggNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy should do another one of “electoral power density”, i.e. population density multiplied by the amount each vote contributes to an election. presumably the square states would look a hella lot redder for senate elections
Show threadStand for SomethingNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy remarkable how presentation of data can change one’s perception of reality.
Show threadBarry Schwartz Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Then there are the cases where someone simply crops the vertical scale of a line plot, so a small change looks huge.
Show threadBrunswick CopperNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I like how the NY Times puts each congressional district as the same size block.
Show threadJDHeymanNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy acreage has always seemed like a weird metric for how people think to me, if there are no people dwelling in the acreage ... but we are a continental country, and if we're are going to have a coherent republic we need to work within institutional constraints to knit these constituencies closer to a center point
Show threadbysteveguthrieNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy thank you for@putting this out there. It makes so much more sense. The country is not majority Republican. I have to think ideologically it’s middle of the road at the very least - but more inclined to think more liberal, social justice oriented. I live in Texas so it’s my only salve to a very jacked up political existence. People LOVE to vote against their self interest here. Corruption is rampant.
Show threadRose Newell | codewordcreativeNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Similar issues in England, with the Tories being more popular in rural areas.
Show threadKaren E. Lund 💙💛Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Looking at that vast expanse of red in the middle of the country--which is lightly populated by humans--I realize that if wildlife were allowed to vote it would look very different.
Show threadJinpaNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I wish I could remember her name but she gave a very good explanation with regard to rural populations and their interaction w the government. Historically rural areas interaction w gov comes in the form of regulation vs big city populations have more positive interactions via public transportation, smog regulations ect
Probably an over simplification & not doing justice to her full explanation but it made sense when i heard it
Show threadLindsay Marino LongNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy a much better way to illustrate how PEOPLE vote, not land! Thanks for sharing, love some good data viz.
Show threadJames Jollay (OLD ACCOUNT)Nov 12, 2022

@mistakenotmy

And isn't it funny how the media always uses divisive images like the one on the left when reporting. It's all about getting the emotional knee-jerk reaction from people.

Show thread𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑯𝑨𝑰𝑹𝒀 🤷‍♂️Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy happens every election cycle. People think a big red splash in Wyoming somehow translates to billions of GOP votes.
Show threadDan ClineNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy about 30 years ago I read an excellent book, How to Lie With Maps, by Mark Monmonier, which covers the many ways maps can distort data through the methods by which they are presented. The book really sharpened my critical thinking skills when it came to map reading. The book is in its third edition, and is available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Maps-Third-Mark-Monmonier/dp/022643592X/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=2e6c6ad5-811d-4446-ab7c-7a17165e3669
Show threadMicahNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy except now blue areas look like tumors 😅
Show threadmark henick Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Do you happen to have a link to these maps?
Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@markhenick
The original tweet from Karim Douïeb and a link to his data points are here:
https://twitter.com/karim_douieb/status/1181695687005745153
Karim Douïeb on Twitter

“Challenge accepted! Here is a transition between surface area of US counties and their associated population. This arguably provides a much more accurate reading of the situation. @observablehq notebook: https://t.co/wdfMeV5hO4 #HowChartsLie #DataViz #d3js”

Twitter
Show threadWolfHNov 12, 2022
@markhenick Full link to the original Maps (takes a while to render)
https://observablehq.com/@karimdouieb/try-to-impeach-this-challenge-accepted
Try to impeach this? Challenge accepted!

Dependencies

Observable
Show threadmark henick Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Thanks!
Show threadElaine ParkerNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy so interesting. I wish American media would at least show both. Most of the red on the usual map is uninhabited!
Show threadIgnatzNov 12, 2022

@mistakenotmy

Loving County, Texas has 64 people.

Los Angeles County has 10 million people.

Some people act like they're equivalent, because they're both counties.

Show threadWiseOldOwlNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Sou h red on the rural part of our country. I'm in KC, MO, a blue county, but most of our state is rural, agricultural, with the Ozarks in the bottom half. I don't know ow how we'll ever truly reach them.
Show threadjljacobsonNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy I have always wanted these maps!
Show threadClepanto  Nov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy nice example, thanks
Show threadDavid J. AtkinsonNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy Great example. #AreaCharts reinforce multiple #CognitiveBias and innate errors of human #inference. #DataVis people who are educated in #psychology know this, therefore such charts are likely to serve deliberate manipulation.
Show threadDavid J. AtkinsonNov 12, 2022
@mistakenotmy The media knows better. So why do they do this? I think it means they’ve picked the Red side.