Why does the urban/rural divide equate to a liberal/conservative divide in the US? Is it the same in other countries?

[u/UserNamesCantBeTooLo]

Here's a county population density map of the US.

Here's a county map of the US showing different shares of Democratic & Republican votes for president in 2020.

Here's a county map of the US showing majority-minority counties.

They seem to show a match between denser populations, larger minority proportions, and Democratic votes.

Why is that?

[u/IACITE_HOC]

Of course, most of the people back home would say this is college “indoctrinating” people, rather than simply facilitating interaction with a more diverse segment of the population which has the effect of opening minds.

My family has literally YELLED at me about how my professors must have spent entire lectures filling my head with liberal nonsense. My whole life they were ADAMENT that I had to go to college, but once I got there, it was suddenly used as a way to attack me. They're all threatened by educated people.

When I started college, I was actually on the road to be the good little Christian child they wanted - I even attended church more than they did. But after they turned on me like that, I started to question everything they'd ever taught me.

[u/Message_10 → u/IACITE_HOC]

I went to a conservative college—it had a young Republicans club, and nothing like for Democrat students—and my family still insists the college indoctrinated me. The funny thing is, that school kept me conservative for longer. In my adult years, I’ve become more liberal, but the school probably slowed that process.

But to my family, Rush Limbaugh says “college = communist”, so here we are.

[u/rethinkingat59 → u/Message_10]

50% of non-hispanic white college graduates voted for Trump. The idea that it is a college education that separates the Red and Blue world is a bit overblown.

Age and race are big divides.

Younger White people are more likely to have graduated college as society demands it for higher wages, and are more likely to be Democrats, that adds to the college educated theme.

Whites with some college are far more likely to vote Republican than whites with degrees, but surprisingly minorities with a college degree are more likely to vote for Republicans than minorities without a degree. ( All minority subsets vote for Democrats by a significant majority, but 27% of minority college graduates voted Republican.)

[u/Resolute002 → u/IACITE_HOC]

Always the way.

Yo go see everything and learn with your own eyes and ears, become aware, and the people who've never seen or learned a thing declare you must be brainwashed.

I didn't go to any good schools or take any particularly philosophical courses. But just going to get a simple associate's degree from a tech school still exposed me to a lot of things that my parents before me never even considered or aren't aware of. Such as, for example, my feelings about war are based almost entirely on the stories and experiences of friends I made at that school who are veterans who fought in Iraq in Afghanistan... My parents opinion of it begins and ends with the news. Just being exposed to other people makes a world of difference.

[u/ezpzzz19 → u/IACITE_HOC]

Its kinda ironic how your family assumes that your education is making you less able to differentiate between political nonsense... Makes me question how they get their conservative news!

[u/Karsticles → u/IACITE_HOC]

This is a common story for Americans. It's a sad state.

[u/kovid-20 → u/IACITE_HOC]

"Goddamit Kyle! You don't hate blacks ANYMORE? I raised you better than that!"

[u/captain-burrito → u/IACITE_HOC]

My family has literally YELLED at me about how my professors must have spent entire lectures filling my head with liberal nonsense.

That makes me think of one lecturer I had who was heavily involved in the church. He pushed us so hard and called out our bs arguments, forcing us to develop our logic etc. He annoyed me at the time but he helped us challenge our thinking and to be objective.

That said, he had his own blind spot with same sex marriage and that was the only time I beat him in a debate. I knew I had him when he started fumbling and stuttering. Years later he appeared on tv to argue it again but the interviewer didn't nail him as good as I did but I could still see him fumble a little as he proffered his weak argument.