Dissertation
BEYOND GEOGRAPHY: RURAL AND URBAN PLACE-BASED IDENTITY AND PARTISANSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004590
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124990
Abstract
In the United States, over the past 30 years, the differences between cities and the countryside have contributed to one of the most noticeable political divides in the country. Why are rural Americans siding with the Republican party, and why are urban Americans siding with the Democratic party? The recent and rapid alignment of partisan voting with geographic area suggests that there is more to the partisan differences in rural and urban America than just residing in a rural or urban area. Explanations such as economics, race, and morals are often forwarded to explain political divides across rural and urban America; however, these explanations fail to fully explain why these factors lead to a consistent pattern of partisanship in rural and urban areas. Socio-economic conditions vary across both rural and urban communities and should create a larger variety of partisan outcomes. In this dissertation, I will build on the recent argument that partisanship is a powerful social identity in political contexts and has become entangled with multiple other aspects of peoples’ identities. I will use both original and secondary data to argue that place-based social identity is a key component to understanding why Americans’ partisan attachments are aligning in a specific pattern with geographic places. I utilize an original survey to demonstrate that Americans describe their communities differently than they are categorized by the U.S. Government and many researchers. I then demonstrate that place-based social identity is significantly related to partisanship and explore the relationship between place-based social identity, community types, and partisanship. Next, I utilize an original experiment to test the effects of priming rural and urban identity. I then conduct a series of interviews with people from across the country to explore the relationship between place and partisanship in greater detail. This examination leads to the identification of a specific set of cosmopolitan values that helps explain the connection between urban social identity and partisanship. Next, I further examine the connection between community type, cosmopolitan values, and partisanship. I finish by summarizing the results and discussing the practical and normative implications.
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Details
- Title
- BEYOND GEOGRAPHY
- Creators
- Timothy Clark Chatburn
- Contributors
- Travis N Ridout (Advisor)Martha Cottam (Committee Member)Michael Salamone (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 229
- Identifiers
- OCLC#: 1365769090; 99900898939001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation