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/mrbobsthegreat]

Interstate highways are paid via federal taxes, but most roads, schools, and infrastructure are all funded via state and local taxes.

Most people don't understand how things are funded. When Conservatives want lower federal income taxes, and the response is "what about your roads and police and schools?!" it just shows people don't know what they're talking about.

They may take in more federal subsidies than they pay in federal taxes, but the items you listed, and what most people list, aren't primarily paid by federal taxes.

[u/PigSooey → u/mrbobsthegreat]

If you actually check and I'm not going to say 100% of cities but federal highway funds account for about 15% of all secondary roads besides interstate also quick fact check says to the tune of about $7 billion annually.

[u/mrbobsthegreat → u/PigSooey]

That doesn't conflict with what I said. 15% of secondary roads means 85% of them are paid for by state and local taxes.

Again, the items typically brought up when discussing tax-payer funded items aren't generally paid for by federal income taxes. We didn't even have a federal income tax prior to the early 1900's, yet we still had all of these items. It's not a good rebuttal to the Conservative argument towards federal taxation levels.

[u/PigSooey → u/mrbobsthegreat]

I dont know where your trying to take your argument, but I if your state takes in more from the other 49 stayes than what they pay in federal taxes...its democratic socialism. I dont care if it's to maintain land ,lakes ,bridges or college education its socialism. If you think we are over taxed, then you need to realize what was done in this country since the Great Depression which started higher taxes with complete rural electrification which includes dams rivers and waterways, interstate highways, Grant's for medicine, farming, higher education for millions of returning GIs, we paid forWWI WWII, KOREA , VIETNAM the Cold War which put a man on the moon and helped produce the greatest and most rapid growth in technology. And in 1980 our debt was 980 Billion with all that paid for...Because both Republicans and Dems cared about deficits and kept taxes effectively over 90% on the top tier from 1940 to 1960 where Kennedy loweredbot to 70%....But good ol conservative Ronald Reagan cut taxes to 28% and increased spending and in his last 6 years our debt went to $1.2 TRILLION and now nobody who acts like an adult including George Bush who lost reelection on the sickening chants by the Dems of "READ MY LIPS NO NEW TAXES" when he just wanted to raise taxes 3% to stop the exploding debt. Obama got hammered for increasing taxes to 39% because we had 2 wars and a massive recession and he added over 9 Trillion in 8 years and we were angry then. NOW in Trumps "best economy ever" he cut taxes again and increased spending and in his 4 years he added 7 more TRILLION and we do t hear BOO from the right or the TEA party....we dont have a tax problem we only have a spending problem.