23. Tall or Short? Do Americans tend to vote for the taller of the two major candidates in a presidential election?

In 53 of our presidential elections for which the heights of all the major-party candidates are known, 28 of the winners were taller than their opponents.2 Assume that Americans are not biased by a candidate’s height and that the winner is just as likely to be taller or shorter than his or her opponent.

a. Is the observed number of taller winners in the U.S.

presidential election unusual? Find the approximate probability of finding 28 or more of the 53 pairs in which the taller candidate wins.

b. Based on your answer to part

a, can you conclude that Americans might consider a candidate’s height when casting their ballot?