White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy

A stunning expos� of rural America's disproportionate political power, the threat it poses to democracy, and how the US must achieve a more balanced system for the whole nation's benefit

This is the patriotic paradox of rural America: The rural citizens who take such pride in their patriotism are the least likely to defend core American principles. If the commitment to democracy of this exalted minority crumbles, can the US itself survive?

Voters in smaller or less populous states have more electoral power than their urban counterparts. The past two Republican presidents entered the White House despite losing the popular vote. By 2040, just 30 percent of the population, concentrated in smaller and more rural states, will elect 70 senators. This skewed dynamic is already changing policy outcomes--scuttling nationally popular bills in the Senate and distorting the balance of the courts. At the same time, despite this rural privilege, these regions are suffering worse health, education, and economic outcomes than larger states.

In White Rural Rage, political scientists Thomas Schaller and Paul Waldman explore why these voters fail to see benefits from their power, and why they are the most likely to rage against the democratic project the moment elections stop going their way. Voters there believe the nation has failed them, and to some degree, they're right.

With on-the-ground reporting from five very different rural counties spread across the country, White Rural Rage offers unique insights into how the struggles and resentments of rural people ripple out to determine the kind of country we all live in. Schaller and Waldman critique the structures in place that have led to this imbalance, but they also provocatively criticize rural voters and states themselves for the choices they've made on behalf of themselves and the country. And, they point the way toward a political reimagining that would not only offer a better future for rural people, but make it possible for rural America to stop dragging the rest of the country down.