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In this week's episode of Politics In Question, Jonathan Rodden joins Julia and Lee to discuss the challenges presented by urban-rural polarization in American politics. Rodden is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University. His work focuses on the comparative political economy of institutions. He has written on various topics, including federalism and fiscal decentralization, the geographic distribution of political preferences within countries, legislative bargaining, the distribution of budgetary transfers across regions, and the historical origins of political institutions. He is also the author of Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Divide (Basic Books, 2019).What is urban-rural polarization? How do political parties perpetuate it? Does America's presidential system exacerbate the underlying problem? And what reforms can help Americans bridge the urban-rural divide in their politics? These are some of the questions Jonathan, Julia, and Lee ask in this week's episode.
December 1. 2023 Hoover Institution | Stanford University The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) hosts its “State of American Institutions” conference on Thursday, November 30, and Friday, December 1. In this panel, participants address how the US Congress can more effectively provide representation and regain the confidence of the American people. Panelists trace the decline in bipartisanship, attributing it to hyperpolarization that has grown across the twenty-first century. This polarization has resulted in legislative deadlocks, prompting occupants of the White House to act unilaterally instead of collaborating with Congress. Panelists identify egregious redistricting decisions as a factor contributing to polarization. For more information, visit https://www.hoover.org/events/state-american-institutions-center-revitalizing-american-institutions ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Sarah Binder, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution; and Professor of Political Science, George Washington University The Honorable Barbara Comstock, former US Representative (VA-10) The Honorable Dan Lipinski, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution; and former US Representative (IL-3) Jonathan Rodden, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; and Professor of Political Science, Stanford University Moderator: Brandice Canes-Wrone, Director of the Center for Revitalizing Institutions and Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; and Professor of Political Science, Stanford University ABOUT THE CENTER FOR REVITALIZING AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS (RAI): In an objective, non-partisan spirit, the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) draws on the Hoover Institution's scholarship, government experience, and convening power to study the reasons behind the crisis in trust facing American institutions, analyze how they are operating in practice, and consider policy recommendations to rebuild trust and increase their effectiveness. Learn more: https://www.hoover.org/research-teams/center-revitalizing-american-institutions
The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 25, 2023Pennsylvania Citizens Obtaining A Driver's License or ID at the DMV Are Now Automatically Registered to VoteEligible citizens in Pennsylvania will now be automatically registered to vote when obtaining a new driver's license or state ID, unless they opt out of the system. Such “Automatic Voter Registration” or AVR, systems have registered millions of voters in the 23 states where it's been implemented.Our podcasting host recently made changes which stops us from including our entire script as part of the podcast content. To view the whole script, please go to our website and find today's report.Today's LinksArticles & Resources:Office of Gov. Josh Shapiro - Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in PennsylvaniaMSNBC - Interview with Gov. Josh ShapiroSpotlight PA/Votebeat - Pa. will now prompt people to register to vote when they get a driver's licensePA Dept. of State - Voter and Election Information PageNational Conference of State Legislatures - States With Automatic Voter Registration Justin Grimmer and Jonathan Rodden, Stanford University - Changing the Default: The Impact of Motor-Voter Reform in ColoradoGroups Taking Action:League of Women Voters PA, Common Cause PA, Conservation Voters of PA and PennFuture===Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE! Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgWant ADM sent to your email? Sign up here!#Democracy #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers
It's easy to think of American populism as disempowered rural residents versus the urban elite. When it comes to America's electoral system and influencing national policy, who has the real power? Jonathan Rodden and Danielle Allen join Meghna Chakrabarti.
Marcus Casey - The Evolution of Black Neighborhoods Since Kerner Marcus Casey is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. Author of The Evolution of Black Neighborhoods Since Kerner (with Bradley L. Hardy). [N.B. "Kerner" refers to the Kerner Commission Report on the Causes, Causes, Events, and Aftermaths of the Civil Disorders of 1967, available here.] Leah Brooks Associate Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, and author of the recent paper The Long-Run Impact of the 1968 Washington, DC Civil Disturbance (with Jonathan Rose, Daniel Shoag, and Stan Veuger). Appendices: Marcus Casey: (1) Black Metropolis: A Study of Negro Life in a Northern City by St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton and (2) the TV show Flatbush Misdemeanors on Showtime. Greg Shill: Measuring Racism and Discrimination in Economic Data by Marcus Casey and Randall Akee. Jeff Lin: (1) Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide by Jonathan Rodden and (2) The Ecology of a Black Business District by Franklin D. Wilson. [N.B. Check out the Densely Speaking interview with Jonathan Rodden about his book (S1E6, Nov. 5, 2020).] Leah Brooks: Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism by Paul Sabin. Follow us on the web or on Twitter: @denselyspeaking, @jeffrlin, @greg_shill, @MarcDCase. Producer: Schuyler Pals. The views expressed on the show are those of the participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve System, or any of the other institutions with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.
This year the U.S. will go through its decennial redistricting process, which is resurfacing our national conversation around gerrymandering. But Stanford Professor of Political Science, Jonathan Rodden, says gerrymandering isn't the least of our problems when it comes to the politics of geography. In his book, "Why Cities Lose", Rodden illustrates how we can still end up with minority majority rule, regardless of gerrymandering, due to the urban-rural divide. So, if the Democrats want to win more legislative seats, should they move to the suburbs?
Note to listeners: this interview was recorded shortly before Election Day. Our guest is Jonathan Rodden, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and author of Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide. Jonathan also authored an amicus brief in a partisan gerrymandering case that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 (details below). Ari Stern, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Washington University in St. Louis, joins as guest co-host. Ari authored a separate amicus brief in support of the same parties in the same SCOTUS partisan gerrymandering case (details below). Appendices: Jonathan Rodden: Harvard economist Benjamin Enke’s research on public opinion and the distinction between moral universalism and moral communalism. Greg Shill: The Road to Inequality: How the Federal Highway Program Polarized America and Undermined Cities by Clayton Nall and Clayton's interview with Sam Sklar. Jeff Lin: Discussion of long-run urban dynamics in (1) the short story “More Stately Mansions” by John Updike in the collection Trust Me, and (2) Portage and Path Dependence by Hoyt Bleakley and Jeffrey Lin. Ari Stern: The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel Amicus briefs authored by Jonathan and Ari in a recent SCOTUS partisan gerrymandering case: Jonathan Rodden: Brief for Common Cause et al. as Brief of Amici Curiae in Support of Appellees, Rucho v. Common Cause, 139 S.Ct. 2484 (2019) (No. 18-422). Ari Stern: Brief for Common Cause et al. as Amicus Brief of Mathematicians, L. Professors, and Students in Support of Appellees and Affirmance, Rucho v. Common Cause 139 S.Ct. 2484 (2019) (No. 18-422). Follow us on the web or on Twitter: @denselyspeaking, @jeffrlin, @greg_shill. Producer: Schuyler Pals. The views expressed on the show are those of the participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve System, or any of the other institutions with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.
Professors Ganesh Sitaraman, Morgan Ricks, and Chris Serkin are Professors of Law at Vanderbilt Law School. Professor Michelle Layser, an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, joins as guest co-host for this discussion. Appendices: Ganesh Sitaraman: Jump Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream by Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson. Chris Serkin: Neighborhood Defenders: Participatory Politics and America’s Housing Crisis by Katherine Levine Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer. Michelle Layser: How Place-Based Tax Incentives Can Reduce Geographic Inequality by Michelle Layser. Greg Shill: Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Divide by Jonathan Rodden. Jeff Lin: Local Ties in Spatial Equilibrium by Mike Zabek. Follow us on the web or on Twitter: @denselyspeaking, @jeffrlin, @greg_shill. Ganesh is @GaneshSitaraman, Morgan is @MorganRicks1, and Chris avoids twitter but can occasionally be found @serkinc. Michelle is @LayserTax. Producer: Schuyler Pals. The views expressed on the show are those of the participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve System, or any of the other institutions with which the hosts or guests are affiliated. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In the final segment of our four-part series on rural poverty and the 2020 elections, developed in collaboration with and underwritten by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Michelle chats with Dee Davis, founder and president of the Center for Rural Strategies; Jonathan Rodden, professor of political science at Stanford University, and author of Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide; and Pakou Hang, a trainer at Vote Run Lead, about the upcoming elections. People vote on the basis of whether they think a candidate truly represent people like themselves, notes Davis. They vote more on the basis of candidates they like and whose values they support, rather than on policy issues, he adds. Hang discusses the important role of women in agriculture today, who tend to be the largest landowners, and are more interested in rural health, nutrition, and the ecosystem. Women in agriculture and in rural communities are coming together in social networks and exerting a greater influence than in the past, she explains. According to Rodden, the racial injustice movement has affected rural areas, which have become more heterogeneous, as well as urban areas. The episode concludes with insights about the importance of immigrants who are moving to rural communities for jobs (the majority of dairy farm workers are now Latino, notes Hang); whether democracy itself is in jeopardy; and the role of voting by mail in the 2020 elections. This episode is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, www.rwjf.org
Why Cities Lose traces the deep roots of the Urban-Rural divide in the U.S. and shows that geography is the main reason the left loses many key elections. Roger and Jonathan discuss how Democrats are making inroads with suburban voters and which states that is happening in the most; the changing nature of college educated voters; how housing costs in major urban places may be unintentionally helping Democrats, and more.
Michelle chats with Jonathan Rodden, professor of political science and senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Rodden is also the founder and director of the Spatial Social Science Lab and author of a new book, Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide. Geography matters in the United States, Rodden says, because we’re divided into electoral districts, which can be a good thing but has a downside in being a major determinant in who wins an election. The rural vote will be critical in the 2020 election, but economics will not be the only determinant as social issues, such as abortion, gun rights, race, and immigration, will also play a part, according to both Michelle and Jonathan. The Democratic presidential primary battle revolves basically around urban voters, but after winning the primary, there is more incentive for the nominee to focus on rural voters, he notes. Even if an independent commission decided district boundaries, he says, it wouldn’t necessarily prevent the continuation of the urban-rural divide. Gerrymandering does add to the problem, Rodden asserts. The bottom line: Yes, geography does matter when it comes to public policy. This episode was sponsored by Bryan Telemedicine, https://www.bryanhealth.com/services/telemedicine/; REC Foundation, roboticseducation.org; For the Win Robotics, frw-robotic.com; and the Rural Assembly, ruralassembly.org.
In an increasingly politically polarized society, many people point a finger at gerrymandering as the cause. However, there may be an alternate answer. On this week’s episode of Poll Hub, Jonathan Rodden,
Our geographic divides are central to contemporary politics, including the election of Donald Trump. Election maps show dense liberal cities in a sea of sparsely-populated Red, advantaging Republicans in our geographic electoral system. Why are Democrats concentrating in cities? Jonathan Rodden finds increasingly concentrated left parties around the world, disadvantaging liberal cities. It started with unionized industrial railroad hubs but accelerated with the changing cultural values of the party's new coalitions. Will Wilkinson finds urban and rural areas are becoming economically and psychologically distinct, with cities concentrating those open to new experience and working in the technology-driven economy and rural areas retaining those averse to social and economic change. Studies: "Why Cities Lose" and "The Density Divide" Interviews: Jonathan Rodden, Stanford University; Will Wilkinson, Niskanen Center Photo used is in the public domain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_presidential_election#/media/File:United_States_presidential_election_results_by_county,_2016.svg
JONATHAN RODDEN is a professor in the Political Science Department at Stanford and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. The Conversation: https://www.edge.org/conversation/jonathan_rodden-the-urban-rural-divide
Nicholas Bloom is a professor of economics at Stanford University and is the co-director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Today, Nick joins the show to discuss his work on the causes and effects of economic uncertainty as well as how to measure uncertainty in an economy. David and Nick also discuss why productivity has slowed down in recent decades and why Nick is not especially optimistic that productivity will really improve anytime soon. David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com/ Macro Musings podcast site: macromusings.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Nick Bloom’s Stanford University profile: https://people.stanford.edu/nbloom/ Related links: The Economic Policy Uncertainty Index http://www.policyuncertainty.com/ “Fluctuations in Uncertainty” by Nicholas Bloom http://www.nber.org/papers/w19714.pdf “Why has US Policy Uncertainty Risen since 1960?” by Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom, Brandice Canes-Wrone, Steven J. Davis, and Jonathan Rodden https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.104.5.56
Jonathan Rodden, political science professor at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the geography of voting. The main focus is on the tendency of urban voters around the world to vote for candidates on the left relative to suburban and rural voters. Rodden argues that this pattern is related to the geography of work and housing going back to the industrial revolution. He also discusses the implications of various voting systems such as winner-take-all vs. proportional representation, the electoral college and how political systems and voter preferences can produce unexpected outcomes.
Jonathan Rodden, political science professor at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the geography of voting. The main focus is on the tendency of urban voters around the world to vote for candidates on the left relative to suburban and rural voters. Rodden argues that this pattern is related to the geography of work and housing going back to the industrial revolution. He also discusses the implications of various voting systems such as winner-take-all vs. proportional representation, the electoral college and how political systems and voter preferences can produce unexpected outcomes.
Jonathan Rodden, political science professor at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the geography of voting. The main focus is on the tendency of urban voters around the world to vote for candidates on the left relative to suburban and rural voters. Rodden argues that this pattern is related to the geography of work and housing going back to the industrial revolution. He also discusses the implications of various voting systems such as winner-take-all vs. proportional representation, the electoral college and how political systems and voter preferences can produce unexpected outcomes.