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So what really determined the 2024 U.S. presidential elections? 🎧

Danny Hayes and John Sides talk about what we have learned since last November.

- February 5, 2025

After every election, pundits and scholars are quick to come up with reasons that explain just why the election turned out the way it did.  People have attributed the outcome to the economy, immigration, poorly run campaigns, the war in Gaza, racial realignment, gender, and numerous other causes. But what does the evidence actually say? 

I talked about this with two Good Authority specialists. Danny Hayes is a professor of political science who has written three books about campaigns and U.S. public opinion. John Sides is Professor of Political Science and William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair at Vanderbilt University and, amongst others, an author of books on the 2012, 2016, and 2020 elections. John is also the publisher of Good Authority.

While we don’t know all the answers, and we probably never will, Danny and John do identify some consensus on the things that were very likely very important and others that were much more likely to be marginal at best. Enjoy the conversation in our latest podcast.