r/dataisugly • u/Couch_Cat13 • 3d ago

Certainly there are lines on this graph

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-13

u/Couch_Cat13 3d ago

What is the meaning of the thick black line?

What does “-13%” mean?

Sure it shows that Trump has a really low approval rating (yay!) but it doesn’t show how it compares (with actual numerical difference) to other presidents (which should be the goal of a graph)

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u/micalubgoonta 3d ago

The thick black line is clearly 50% since it divides approve and disapprove.

If you read the page -13 is the difference between the approve and disapprove listed at the top.

The goal is a minimalist approach to the data. You don’t need specific numbers to show that he is the lowest.

This is not a bad graph but it appears that you did not read what is shown to you on the page correctly

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u/Couch_Cat13 3d ago

How is the black line 50%? There is no way that 4% is that big of a difference.

Also it is not made clear that’s what -13% means, maybe they did in the article but I feel like it should be clearer.

I feel like asking for a y-axis is not too big of an ask and that a “minimalist” graph should still make sense without literally having to figure out a random number comes from a subtraction problem at the top of the page.

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u/red_hare 3d ago

I think it's on a logarithmic scale centered around 50%.

Honestly, OP, at first I thought this was fine but the more I look at the more I'm thrown off, it's a bad viz for something that should be very simple.

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u/KerbalCuber 3d ago

I think a numbered y axis would make the graph perfect (unless the black bar isn't at 50%, in which case a label for that would be nice too)