Reagan received the most electoral votes (525 in 1984), and many previous Presidents also got about 60% of the popular vote. (Hoover, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan from 1928 to 1984 average popular vote was 59%. The lower vote getters Truman, Kennedy, Carter got about 50% of the popular vote.)

The average winner from 1988 to 2024 only got 50% of the popular vote.

1928 to 1984 big wins: winner got about 59% of the popular vote.
1928 to 1984 competitive: winner got about 50% of the popular vote.
1988 to 2024: winner got about 50% of the popular vote.

Something seems to have changed after 1988. There are no more consensus candidates or landslide victories. Fox News started in 1996. The internet has fractured news sources. Maybe computer technology made it easier to create a competitive race. It seems common nowadays that many people don't like any of the candidates. Negative campaigning can now be hidden in PACs, and campaign finance laws are ineffective at limiting spending. More mud slinging leads to more people just tossing a coin to decide. Gerrymandering has also led to more extreme party positions, and contributes to the Big Sort (why stay in an area where your political views are vilified, and your vote is ignored).

year        candidate                 political party         electoral votes  popular votes  popular percentage
2024       Donald Trump                 Republican                  312          77,302,580          49.8
2020        Joe Biden                   Democratic                  306          81,283,501          51.3
2016       Donald Trump                 Republican                  304          62,984,828          46.1
2012       Barack Obama                 Democratic                  332          65,915,795          51.1
2008       Barack Obama                 Democratic                  365          69,498,516          52.9
2004      George W. Bush                Republican                  286          62,040,610          50.7
2000      George W. Bush                Republican                  271          50,455,156          47.9
1996       Bill Clinton                 Democratic                  379          47,402,357          49.2
1992       Bill Clinton                 Democratic                  370          44,909,889           43
1988     George H.W. Bush               Republican                  426          48,886,097          53.4
1984      Ronald Reagan                 Republican                  525          54,455,075          58.8
1980      Ronald Reagan                 Republican                  489          43,642,639          50.4
1976       Jimmy Carter                 Democratic                  297          40,825,839           50
1972      Richard Nixon                 Republican                  520          46,740,323          60.7
1968      Richard Nixon                 Republican                  301          31,710,470          43.4
1964    Lyndon B. Johnson               Democratic                  486          42,825,463          61.1
1960      John F. Kennedy               Democratic                  303          34,227,096          49.7
1956   Dwight D. Eisenhower             Republican                  457          35,581,003          57.4
1952   Dwight D. Eisenhower             Republican                  442          33,778,963          54.9
1948      Harry S. Truman               Democratic                  303          24,105,695          49.4
1944  Franklin D. Roosevelt             Democratic                  432          25,602,505          53.3
1940  Franklin D. Roosevelt             Democratic                  449          27,243,466          54.7
1936  Franklin D. Roosevelt             Democratic                  523          27,476,673          60.2
1932  Franklin D. Roosevelt             Democratic                  472          22,821,857          57.3
1928      Herbert Hoover                Republican                  444          21,392,190           58
1924      Calvin Coolidge               Republican                  382          15,725,016          54.1
1920    Warren G. Harding               Republican                  404          16,147,249          60.3
1916      Woodrow Wilson                Democratic                  277          9,129,606           49.2
1912      Woodrow Wilson                Democratic                  435          6,293,454           41.8
1908    William Howard Taft             Republican                  321          7,678,908           51.6
1904    Theodore Roosevelt              Republican                  336          7,623,486           56.4
1900     William McKinley               Republican                  292          7,207,923           51.7
1896     William McKinley               Republican                  271          7,104,779            51
1892     Grover Cleveland               Democratic                  277          5,556,918           46.1
1888    Benjamin Harrison               Republican                  233          5,439,853           47.8
1884     Grover Cleveland               Democratic                  219          4,874,986           48.5
1880    James A. Garfield               Republican                  214          4,454,416           48.3
1876    Rutherford B. Hayes             Republican                  185          4,036,298            48
1872     Ulysses S. Grant               Republican                  286          3,597,132           55.6
1868     Ulysses S. Grant               Republican                  214          3,012,833           52.7
1864      Abraham Lincoln               Republican                  212          2,213,665            55
1860      Abraham Lincoln               Republican                  180          1,866,452           39.9
1856      James Buchanan                Democratic                  174          1,838,169           45.3
1852      Franklin Pierce               Democratic                  254          1,601,274           50.8
1848      Zachary Taylor                   Whig                     163          1,360,099           47.3
1844      James K. Polk                 Democratic                  170          1,337,243           49.5
1840  William Henry Harrison               Whig                     234          1,275,016           52.9
1836     Martin Van Buren               Democratic                  170           762,678            50.8
1832      Andrew Jackson                Democratic                  219           687,502            54.2
1828      Andrew Jackson                Democratic                  178           647,286             56
1824    John Quincy Adams     no distinct party designations        84            108,740            30.9
1820       James Monroe           Democratic-Republican             231
1816       James Monroe           Democratic-Republican             183
1812      James Madison           Democratic-Republican             128
1808      James Madison           Democratic-Republican             122
1804     Thomas Jefferson         Democratic-Republican             162
1800     Thomas Jefferson         Democratic-Republican             73
1796        John Adams                  Federalist                  71
1792    George Washington               Federalist                  132
1789    George Washington     no formally organized parties         69

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