3607 - The Rural Vs. Urban Threat To Democracy w/ Suzanne Mettler
The Majority Report with Sam Seder Podcast Recap
Published:
Duration: 1 hr 9 min
Guests: Suzanne Mettler
Summary
The podcast episode discusses the growing political divide between rural and urban areas in the United States, as explained by Suzanne Mettler. She highlights how institutional features like the Senate and Electoral College give disproportionate political power to rural areas, benefiting...
What Happened
The episode opens with the ongoing chaos at airports due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. President Donald Trump has taken an unusual step by deploying ICE agents to assist TSA agents, although their presence seems more symbolic than functional. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana mentioned a Senate deal that could fund everything except ICE, which Trump rejected, insisting on the inclusion of the unrelated SAVE Act.
Suzanne Mettler, a political science professor at Cornell University, discusses her co-authored book 'Urban Versus Rural: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy.' She explains how institutional features in the U.S., like the Senate and Electoral College, amplify the political power of rural areas despite their smaller populations. This disproportionate influence benefits the Republican Party, consolidating power even with minority support.
The podcast delves into how economic changes and public policies have widened the rural-urban divide since the early 1990s. Mettler notes that while rural Americans make up 15-20% of the population, their political preferences have dramatically shifted towards Republicans, especially in the Midwest, with a voting gap between rural and urban areas growing to 20 percentage points by 2024.
The conversation touches on how cultural shifts, including the decline of labor unions and the rise of evangelical churches, have reinforced the divide. Mettler highlights that from 2008 to 2020, rural areas increasingly viewed Democrats as elitist, further fueling resentment. Despite minimal policy differences between these areas, party dislike drives a significant voting gap.
Mettler also addresses how racism has become more concentrated in rural areas, contributing to the political divide. She points out that while racism was equally prevalent among non-Hispanic whites in both areas in the late 90s, it has since become more pronounced in rural areas. This change has aligned with the rise of right-wing media and evangelical groups.
Finally, the episode critiques the Democratic Party's lack of organization in rural regions, which contrasts with the Republicans' strong social networks. Mettler argues that while organizing in rural areas could be impactful, there is a financial disincentive for Democrats due to limited media buy opportunities, leading to continued neglect of these regions.
Key Insights
- The U.S. Senate and Electoral College disproportionately amplify the political power of rural areas, benefiting the Republican Party. Despite rural Americans making up only 15-20% of the population, these institutional features allow them to exert significant influence.
- Economic changes and public policies since the 1990s have widened the rural-urban divide, with rural areas becoming more Republican. In 1992, the voting gap between rural and urban counties was only two percentage points, but it grew to 20 percentage points by 2024.
- Cultural shifts, such as the decline of labor unions and the rise of evangelical churches, have reinforced the rural-urban political divide. From 2008 to 2020, rural resentment towards Democrats, perceived as elitist, increased, contributing to the divide.
- Racism has become more concentrated in rural areas, aligning with the rise of right-wing media and evangelical groups. This shift has further deepened the political divide, as racism among non-Hispanic whites was initially similar in both areas but diverged over time.