Pennsylvania continues tradition as ‘keystone state’ in presidential elections

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Robert Speel, Penn State

(THE CONVERSATION) Pennsylvania’s role as a swing state in presidential elections is a modern continuation of a characteristic noted as early as 1802. At a rally celebrating the election victory of President Thomas Jefferson, Pennsylvania was reportedly referred to as “the keystone of the federal union” – a keystone being the central stone in an arch that keeps all the other arch stones in place.

Since the nation’s earliest days, Pennsylvania has in many ways been at the center of the action. The state hosted the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the 1770s and was the final state to make approval of the Declaration of Independence unanimous in July 1776. At the time of independence, Pennsylvania was also at the geographical center of the 13 original Colonies, with six states to its south and six states to its north and east.

The state hasn’t always been a swing state, but it has usually been central to presidential campaigns – and remains so today. Pennsylvania includes voters with a broad range of political views, usually keeping results close in statewide elections.

Philadelphia voters are almost entirely liberal on all issues,...