Compare And Contrast Florida And West Virginia

West Virginia is a small eastern Rust Belt state founded in 1863, making it the 35th oldest state in the Union. Since its inception, the West Virginia state government has worked for its people to provide structure, safety, and order to its citizens. Comparing West Virginia to Florida highlights a striking difference between the two states, but with a similar result: a tradition of voting red despite most citizens being registered as Democrats.

West Virginia’s state government is made up of three branches, the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. Each branch plays a role in constructing and enforcing laws and maintaining the state government infrastructure. The Executive Branch can curb the Legislative Branch

The governor of Florida is more powerful than West Virginia’s although their term limits and power checks are similar. The Florida Judicial Branch is set up differently than West Virginia’s; The State Supreme Court is the highest court, followed by The District Court of Appeals, The Circuit Court, and then the County Court system. Florida’s Legislative Branch is made up of 120 House of Representative members and 40 Senate

During the same period, Florida maintained its status as a swing state up until 2020, consistently being unpredictable during national elections. As fewer Democratic voters showed up at the polls in Florida every year, West Virginia had the opposite problem; Democratic voters showed up in droves and voted red instead. The average ages of Floridians and West Virginians also contribute to how they vote. 40–60-year-olds are the age group most represented in national elections and the majority of that age group vote Republican. Even though there are more registered Democrats in both states, if they do not show up to vote, it does not matter who is in the majority. West Virginia also is quickly losing its younger population; the rural area makes it hard to find jobs and the pay is extremely low. More college-educated young people, who are more likely to vote blue, leave the state than those who do blue-collar work and are more likely to vote red. Not to mention, West Virginia has been voting against the party actively trying to ban their largest export which will plunge them further into poverty. Because of the political culture surrounding Florida, more right-minded folks are moving to the state, while those in support of the left are on their way