Which statement about the 1932 U.S. presidential election is accurate?

Which statement about the 1932 U.S. presidential election is accurate?

• A. Roosevelt won with a narrow margin while the Republicans gained control of Congress.
• B. Roosevelt won 57 percent of the popular vote, and Democrats swept both houses of Congress.
• C. The Socialist and Communist candidates performed best since 1920.
• D. Roosevelt won only a slender popular vote but won the electoral college easily.

Answer: (B)

In the 1932 election, Franklin D. Roosevelt won by a large margin as the country sought new solutions to the Great Depression, which is shown by a substantial share of the popular vote and a sweeping victory in Congress. Roosevelt captured about 57 percent of the popular vote and carried the vast majority of states, while the Democrats won large majorities in both the House and the Senate. This combination reflects the era’s realignment toward New Deal policies and a rejection of Hoover-era Republican leadership. The other statements don’t fit this moment: the victory was not narrow, and Republicans did not gain control of Congress; Socialist and Communist candidates did not perform best since 1920; and the popular vote margin was not slender paired with an easy Electoral College win—the margins were decisive in both arenas.

In the 1932 election, Franklin D. Roosevelt won by a large margin as the country sought new solutions to the Great Depression, which is shown by a substantial share of the popular vote and a sweeping victory in Congress. Roosevelt captured about 57 percent of the popular vote and carried the vast majority of states, while the Democrats won large majorities in both the House and the Senate. This combination reflects the era’s realignment toward New Deal policies and a rejection of Hoover-era Republican leadership.

The other statements don’t fit this moment: the victory was not narrow, and Republicans did not gain control of Congress; Socialist and Communist candidates did not perform best since 1920; and the popular vote margin was not slender paired with an easy Electoral College win—the margins were decisive in both arenas.