The electoral regions for U.S. senators do not change over time, because these
regions are the states themselves, since each state is guaranteed in the U.S.
Constitution representation by two senators in the United States Senate. Likewise,
in presidential elections, the electoral region is all 50 states collectively and the
District of Columbia as represented through the Electoral College, in which 570
total electoral votes are available. However, the number of electoral votes assigned
to each state changes every 10 years with new census results, although the number
of electoral votes assigned to the District of Columbia remains constant. More-
over, this is not to suggest that the geography of presidential elections is somehow
static—regions of the country tend to change their political tendencies over time, a
fact that makes the element of spatial strategy in presidential campaigns of para-
mount importance. For example, in the early 20th century, states in New England
and the upper Midwest often supported Republican presidential candidates, while
the American South consistently and solidly backed Democratic candidates. In the
elections of 1920, 1924, and 1928 the Republican candidates (who all won their
respective elections) carried every state in New England and the upper Midwest
with the exception of Wisconsin in 1924, and Massachusetts in 1928. States in
the Deep South almost uniformly supported the Democratic candidate in each
election. This had been the case as well in the elections of 1900, 1904, and 1908,
again all won by the Republican candidate. At the beginning of the 21st century,
this geographical pattern has almost completely reversed, with the South now a
Republican bastion in most elections, and New England and the upper Midwest
solidly in the Democratic column in most elections. The shape, size, and location
of electoral regions and their political characteristics change as often as attitudes
and allegiances do in politics.
Entrepoˆt
Also known as a free port, an entrepoˆt is a duty-free port where high-value com-
modities are traded. Such goods often are transported long distances, and the
entrepoˆt functions as an exchange point between carriers. Commodities may be
stockpiled at an entrepoˆt, allowing for a more consistent supply to the market to
be maintained, and thereby avoiding large fluctuations in price that destabilize
demand. Goods exchanged at an entrepoˆttypicallyareinhighdemand,andare
produced in monopolistic or near-monopolistic conditions. Such exchanges were
common under the mercantilism systems of the colonial era. Entrepoˆt trade devel-
oped primarily due to the long distances involved in moving commodities from the
point of origin to the final market.
Entrepoˆt 113