Overview
Title:
Why Did Obama Win Indiana in 2008? Evaluating Competing Explanations Name: Jayden Doyle School: Auburn University at Montgomery
Left Column: Research Question: Why did Obama win Indiana in 2008? What Happened: Indiana was a Republican-leaning state and had not voted Democratic in decades, making this outcome unexpected Why This Matters: Tests voting behavior theories and explains deviations from historical patterns Dependent Variable: Obama winning Indiana in 2008, measured as a Democratic victory
Middle Column: Campaign Appearances (Hill et al. 2010) H1: If Obama made more campaign appearances in Indiana than McCain in 2008, then Obama would be more likely to win Indiana
Field Offices (Masket 2009) H2: If Obama had more campaign field offices in Indiana than McCain in 2008, then Obama would be more likely to win Indiana
Economic Voting (Abramowitz 2008) H3: If George W. Bush was serving his second term and both approval rating and GDP growth were declining in 2008, then Obama would be more likely to win Indiana
Research Design: Single-case study comparing three explanations using measurable indicators
Right Column (Evidence): Campaign Appearances: Obama 8 visits, McCain 2 visits, limited support Field Offices: Obama 44 offices with statewide presence, McCain significantly fewer, moderate support Economic Conditions: GDP declined and approval dropped to around 28%, strong support
Conclusion: Economic conditions provide the strongest explanation, field offices moderate, appearances limited
Sources: Abramowitz (2008), Masket (2009), Hill et al. (2010), BEA, Gallup, NPR, NYT
The poster should be visually clean, easy to read from a distance, and include simple charts for the three evidence sections. I am going to attach my final presentation so you can see my data charts as well. And I’ll post the template you should pick from to make it.