Election Results Based On Average IQ

Radar • Nov 5, 2004 4:33 pm
This following chart is unbiased. The IQ numbers were originally attributed to the book "IQ and the Wealth of Nations", though they do not appear in the current edition. The tests and data were administered via the Raven's APT, and the Test Agency, one of the UK's leading publishers and distributors of psychometric tests. This data has been published in the Economist and the St. Petersburg Times, though this does not mean it should be taken as fact.

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Cyber Wolf • Nov 5, 2004 4:36 pm
Rah! Virginia's the smartest Bush state! :biggrinje
garnet • Nov 5, 2004 4:51 pm
Wow, Mississippi only has an average IQ of 85? Isn't that the cut-off for "mentally challenged"?
marichiko • Nov 5, 2004 5:04 pm
On behalf of the state of my birth, Kentucky, I must protest. Our average IQ is easily 95 or 96! ;)
Undertoad • Nov 5, 2004 5:20 pm
I have seen this before and it seems fishy, so I did a little Googling and found out that it's partly a hoax.

http://www.sq.4mg.com/IQstates.htm

The actual ranking based on SAT & ACT scores:

104 IQ New Hampshire

103 IQ Oregon, Massachusetts, Wisconsin

102 IQ Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington

101 IQ Alaska, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming

100 IQ Arizona, California, Idaho, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia

99 IQ Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana

98 IQ Florida, Arkansas

97 IQ Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

96 IQ New Mexico

95 IQ District of Columbia

94 IQ Mississippi, South Carolina

The numbers still correlate but not quite so well... better to income:

http://www.sq.4mg.com/stateIQ-income.htm
vsp • Nov 5, 2004 5:35 pm
Maybe it's me, but I don't remember a space for IQ on my census form.
glatt • Nov 5, 2004 5:36 pm
Cyber Wolf wrote:
Rah! Virginia's the smartest Bush state! :biggrinje


And the smart ones are all in NoVa, especially Arlington. In Arlington, 29% of the adult population has a bachelors degree (and nothing higher), and 30% have a graduate degree. That's over twice the national average of 15.5% and 8.9% respectively. Arlington leads the DC region. Only Fairfax comes close with 30% and 24% respectively. I think we bring Virginia's average up just a little.

By the way, Arlington is overwhelmingly liberal.
richlevy • Nov 5, 2004 8:29 pm
vsp wrote:
Maybe it's me, but I don't remember a space for IQ on my census form.

You must have missed on the reading comprehension part of your SAT's.
The actual ranking based on SAT & ACT scores:


Here is an article about the study linking IQ and SATs.
Beestie • Nov 5, 2004 9:10 pm
Here's the thing.

The average IQ of any given state is the total IQ divided by the number of people. Since its a statistical certainty that a high number of residents of a state have an IQ either higher or lower than the average, and since most states selected one candidate over the other in a proportion within a 60-40 margin I draw a conclusion as follows. The smarter portion of the state (those whose IQ is higher than the average for that state) voted for Bush and the dumber portion (those whose IQ is less than the average) voted for Kerry. So for all states that Bush prevailed in, it is reasonable to conclude that the average IQ of the Kerry supporters was substantially below the average for the state which, in turn, makes the state appear dumb (state ave IQ of less than 95). Pretty simple, really.

Nice try tho.

Digging up pretty charts is only half the battle. :)
vsp • Nov 5, 2004 11:30 pm
richlevy wrote:
You must have missed on the reading comprehension part of your SAT's.


I was talking about the original post. No references to SATs there.
Cyber Wolf • Nov 6, 2004 7:40 am
glatt wrote:
And the smart ones are all in NoVa, especially Arlington. In Arlington, 29% of the adult population has a bachelors degree (and nothing higher), and 30% have a graduate degree. That's over twice the national average of 15.5% and 8.9% respectively. Arlington leads the DC region. Only Fairfax comes close with 30% and 24% respectively. I think we bring Virginia's average up just a little.


Mus' be. I'm in Fairfax/Alexandria and fall into the graduate degree category.
richlevy • Nov 6, 2004 9:20 am
vsp wrote:
I was talking about the original post. No references to SATs there.

My bad.
classicman • Sep 1, 2008 11:05 am
Bump - just thought I'd get this one ready for the next election.
SamIam • Sep 1, 2008 1:22 pm
On the face of it, seems to me many African Americans would vote for Obama. Wouldn't that throw the numbers off for states with large Afro American populations? Or are they still not allowed to vote down there? :eyebrow:
TheMercenary • Sep 3, 2008 11:33 pm
Thank God for the Electoral College.
regular.joe • Sep 4, 2008 5:21 am
TheMercenary;480761 wrote:
Thank God for the Electoral College.


Merc, I think that the Dems and GOP want to perpetrate the myth that the respective party conventions are the process by which the President is elected in the U.S. I really don't believe the average joe knows what the electoral college is. It is a little scary if you ask me.

The only places the popular vote counts is in states where the state constitution specifically links the popular vote to the Electoral College.
There are currently 24 states that have no legal requirement for their electors to cast their vote with the popular vote of that state.
TheMercenary • Sep 4, 2008 8:30 am
Joe, I am a huge fan of the Electoral College. I was born in a rural area of one state and moved to more than one state where it was majority rural. When we do away with the EC we might as well move the seat of Government to New England. Succession might not be a bad thing for more than one state if that happens.
Trilby • Sep 4, 2008 8:53 am
Vermont is always wanting to become a soverign nation...I say, let them. Free the Conch Republic, too! (but only if I can design the flag)
DanaC • Sep 4, 2008 9:07 am
Succession might not be a bad thing for more than one state if that happens.


Not bein picky, but was that meant to read secession, or is succession a term for something in american politics that I haven't come across yet?
Griff • Sep 4, 2008 9:32 am
I'd say he meant secession. btw-Recent news has Palin as part of an Alaskan secession organization.
Trilby • Sep 4, 2008 9:37 am
Griff;480821 wrote:
I'd say he meant secession. btw-Recent news has Palin as part of an Alaskan secession organization.


She's already been Queen of Alaska. What more does she want?
TheMercenary • Sep 4, 2008 5:56 pm
Griff;480821 wrote:
I'd say he meant secession. btw-Recent news has Palin as part of an Alaskan secession organization.
That's it, my bad.:3_eyes: