Is there a correlation between how much you know and how you vote? This is a simple question, but the process of trying to answer it is complex, because there are so many variables on both sides of the equation. But there are some interesting trends, although it is not clear what, exactly they mean. The November 20, 2000 issue of U.S. News and World Report contained the following election results:
Of those who failed to complete high school, 59% voted for Al Gore, while only 39% voted for George W. Bush.
Of those who graduated from high school, but had no further education, 48% voted for Gore, and 49% for Bush.
Of those who had attended college, but did not complete a four- or five-year degree, 45% voted for Gore, and 51% for Bush.
Of those who completed a degree (bachelor's or equivalent), the same numbers held.
In 2004, after Bush had been in office for four years, and had a chance to demonstrate how he would conduct himself in office, CNN noted a similar pattern when the voters went to the polls in November of that year:
Of those who failed to graduate from high school, 50% voted for John Kerry, while 49% voted for Bush.
Of those who graduated from high school, but did not go to a college or university, 47% voted for Kerry, and 52% voted for Bush.
Of those who attended college, but did not graduate, 46% voted for Kerry, and 54% for Bush.
Of those who graduated from college, the ratios remained the same.
Finally, four years later, in 2008, the CNN data shows a continuation of the trend:
Of those who failed to graduate from high school, 63% voted for Obama, and 35% for McCain.
Of those who graduated from high school, but did not attend college, 52% voted for Obama and 46% for McCain.
Among those who attended a college or university, but did not graduate, 51% voted for Obama, and 47% for McCain.
Finally, among those who graduated from a college or university, 50% voted for Obama and 48% for McCain.
Placed in the form of a table or chart, these numbers reveal a clear tendency.
