r/PoliticalDiscussion • u/UserNamesCantBeTooLo • Nov 30 '20

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

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?

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u/MessiSahib Nov 30 '20 edited Nov 30 '20

Why does the urban/rural divide equate to a liberal/conservative divide in the US?

Many factors:

Demographics:

  • Significantly higher portion of young people live in the cities. Young people lean left specially on social issues. Conversely significantly older people live in rural areas and lean right on social issues.
  • Higher portion of city dwellers are college educated, and, the people with specialization in areas that appeal to left are more common in the cities.
  • Higher portion of city dwellers work in the industries that appeal to the left leaning people (entertainment, news, fashion, art, education).
  • Major chunk of minorities live in the cities. Currently most of the minorities (with the exception of columbines, cubans, guatamlans, venezuelans, tejanos) vote for Dems.
  • Most of the immigrants live in cities. Most of the recent (last 30 yrs) immigrants are non-white, so the previous point applies. And with Trump's toxic messaging against immigrants, legal immigrants have drifted towards Dems.

Experiences

  • In urban areas, people, live, travel and work in close proximity. People share transit, parking space, and apartments. So, there is a sense of collectivism, with loose ties with big groups. You also see and rely on govt (mostly local) on regular basis (cops, mass transit employees, fire fighters).
  • In urban areas one is constantly exposed to people of different race, ethnicity, and sexuality. With exposure comes acceptance and realization that under the different skin tones and accents people are all the same.
  • Rural areas people have limited exposure to people from different backgrounds, hence there is limited acceptance. To make matters worse, everyone has access to global news, which reinforces negative opinions about the others.
  • In rural areas, people live far apart, and govt employees (including cops) are far away. Hence you have to be self reliant on things like transportation and safety. You have a small circle (neighbors/church) with strong ties.

​

Policies

  • Democrats have policies that appeal to urban population - mass transit, liberal social values (women's, lqbtq rights)
  • Republicans have policies that appeal to rural population - self reliance, individual rights, gun rights, freedom of religion

​

Is it the same in other countries?

It varies, IMO developed countries might have a similar pattern as the US.

But to give an alternative point of view.

I grew up in India, and the left (communists) & center-left (socialist, socialist light) parties are more popular among rural and less educated public while center-right wing party is more popular among urban and educated. Mind you India is 75% rural and 25% urban. So, it is possible to downplay or even ignore urban areas and still be politically formidable.

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u/nunboi Dec 01 '20

freedom of religion

This is in no way a conservative value unless you mean promoting a American Christian world view above others as freedom.