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I'm not interested in talking about politics, or about the pros/cons of "liberalism," but I am interested in knowing why urban areas seem to be more liberal and rural areas tend to be more conservative.
I'm not interested in talking about politics, or about the pros/cons of "liberalism,"
Not only does the OP not want the thread to go there, neither does the mod team!
This is not the place to take swipes or lob insults at the folks with the opposite political stripe as yours. That's what the Politics and Other Controversies forums are for. Just stick to this topic.
because in cities there are more people living within close proximity of others, so they tend to develop more of a social conscience than people who live either in the middle of nowhere or in some gated suburban community where they don't have to interact with anyone else.
how do you define liberal? Social cultural (abortion, religion, gays, racial, yada yada?) or economic left right?
social cultural - cities are places where people with different backgrounds come together, new ideas are generated, etc, While there are exceptions - urban villages, etc -for the most part cities are naturally going to be more willing to give up on traditions of all kinds than are rural areas, where traditons are less rubbed off by the new and the different.
For economics, often cities are NOT more "left". at one time in this country rural areas were more heavily "left" than metro areas, the age of populism. That rural areas are more conservative economically has a lot to do with current industrial and class structures - the relative affluence of farmers, the failure of unions to organize newer rural factories, etc. Though I am not sure even today that metro areas are all that liberal on econ. Take metro Dallas as a whole, for example. There is confusion because by urban we often mean the center city only, and not the whole metro (non rural) area.
I think city folk tend to be more socially liberal because they are exposed to many more different kinds of people. It's easy to be rigid and intolerant if you've never met any of the people you're stereotyping. Isolation breeds fear of the different.
And remember, those who choose to venture out of the country and into the cities are already predisposed to be more adventurous about life, differences, changes, etc. If you're already willing to accept the unknown, you're more likely to be more socially liberal.
That's why small town Texas and big city Texas can vastly different on that point. Though I have met plenty of people you might characterize as 'rednecks' who could care less who you sleep with or marry or what color your skin is.
Economically, I'm not sure...have to chew on that. I think economics tends to be split more coastal vs middle of the country in terms of liberal vs conservative.
I would say that the industrialization of cities and the emergence of a large working class (compared to middle class suburbs or more agrarian rural areas) is primarily what led to urban areas espousing economic policies that favor labor protections, regulation of big business, and progressive taxation.
Also, one might argue that people who live in cities see greater or more immediate benefit of their tax dollars in the form of various services that benefit the community.
I think city folk tend to be more socially liberal because they are exposed to many more different kinds of people. It's easy to be rigid and intolerant if you've never met any of the people you're stereotyping. Isolation breeds fear of the different.
And remember, those who choose to venture out of the country and into the cities are already predisposed to be more adventurous about life, differences, changes, etc. If you're already willing to accept the unknown, you're more likely to be more socially liberal.
That's why small town Texas and big city Texas can vastly different on that point. Though I have met plenty of people you might characterize as 'rednecks' who could care less who you sleep with or marry or what color your skin is.
Economically, I'm not sure...have to chew on that. I think economics tends to be split more coastal vs middle of the country in terms of liberal vs conservative.
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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City life adds complications when it comes to how Corporate America handles employee's and over sea employers. Many regulations that promote liberalism within cities are there to protect civil liberties from corporate America- much of which has an exaggeration as well. As those same methods for protections via labor unions, etc.. are also leeches as well in which money is business and when you rake more in than the next guy that's how you win and the common people are used as medians to make profits, on both sides. The companies are hurt by labor unions overall as well as the employees. A lot of financial problems within large cities comes from the overplayed existence of such unions.
Dominantly the dynamics to American economics and politics are intertwined, liberalism is more of a progressive movement now, in which rights are protected and displayed, gay marriage, illegal immigration, marijuana policies, medical insurance, etc...
In rural areas it's a stand alone, more of a pro-business atmosphere where you are the boss of your ship, and that's how it goes. Each and every person looks out for number one in rural area, in a city area it's more about community effort, IMHO.
That's just the way I view it, no right and wrong.
Yeah, diversity plays a major role in cities liberalism. You can be living near Donald Trump and a bag lady. A person whose family came here on the Mayflower and one whose family came on the boat a few months ago from Cuba. A person who is a staunch Bible toting Fundamentalist to an Athiest. Yellow skinned to browned skinned to black skinned and everything in between. You have to be able to live, and get along with, all different kinds of people.
Diversity makes for liberalism.
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