Question

Part A

Answer 1

Nothing really changed except a few numbers in certain states and the fact that Indiana and North Carolina had voted for Obama in 2012.

Answer 2

As the maps are not included in this question, we cannot comment on the interesting points of the maps. However, we can examine based on other sources, which regions of the country are more Democratic and which ones are more Republican.

Competitive states (also known as swing states) are those that do not clearly lean one way or the other one on a regular basis. Usual swing states include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Besides this states, most of the Northeast and the West tend to lean towards the Democratic party, while the South and the Midwest generally support the Republican party.