Rural communities once split between parties are now deep red—and it’s weakening U.S. democracy, according to the Cornell Chronicle. A new book by Cornell’s Suzanne Mettler and Ph.D. grad Trevor Brown traces 30 years of growing rural-urban polarization using national data and local interviews.
They found that rural districts now send some of the most conservative lawmakers to Congress, often unopposed, leaving voters with little choice and less accountability. The GOP’s rural stronghold also gives it outsized national power through the Senate and Electoral College.
The authors argue this divide isn’t permanent—organizing, trust-building, and local investment could begin to heal it.
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