USA 2000 House
Facts in Focus-
Barely three in ten adults in the United States voted for the
person who represents them in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
-
The number of U.S. House races not contested by both
major parties was 64, almost 15%.
- The share of U.S. House seats won by "landslide" margins jumped from
64% in 1996 and 73% in 1998 to 77% in 2000 -- that percentage
is almost as high as the "landslide index" of 1984-1990, when on
average nearly four in five House races were won by landslide.
- The average victory margin was 40% -- meaning
that the average two-party race was won by 70%-30%. Fewer than five
percent of races were won by competitive margins of less than 10%.
This marks a sharp decline from 1992-1996, but is comparable
to House races in the
1980s.
- The overall share of seats won by the major
parties closely matched their national vote share -- but masked
large distortions in several states, where one party won a far
greater share of seats than its share of the vote. See, for
examples, the states of Nebraska and Massachusetts, where one party won 100% of the
seats.
- Third parties
received 4% of the national vote. This would result in
17 seats in U.S. House seats in a proportional system, but there are
no third party members and only two independents in Congess in 2000-2002.
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