SD vs ND

[debey]

We can't seem to get schools consolidated.(or Counties, for that matter) How will it ever happen, on a larger basis?

[Chris19]

I know that in South Dakota, the state can get by pretty well with 20-25 counties and have school districts by counties, cutting on overlap and allow for more efficient administration of services. Theoretically, North Dakota and South Dakota would function just fine as one state and would be more efficient that way. But the two states have their issues toward each other and still holding on to the their grudges of the 1880s.

[DannyBanany]

What are the grudges?

[Chris19]

Back in the 1870s and 1880s, those in ND complained about the territorial capital being way down in Yankton and the territorial capital was moved up to Bismarck during that time (which did not make those in present-day South Dakota happy). I can understand the issue of the capital being way, way south, but a better option would have been somewhere around Aberdeen (probably the fairest for both ND and SD at the time-most people in both states live in the eastern half).

[belami28]

North Dakota started out the state with no ownership of banks or mortagage co of farmland. Served them well. Maybe they are pretty wise. They have about 40% Norwegians and a few more germans per population. Unlike South Dakota who will possibly go for Rush Limbaugh,type thinking. A conservative but socialist bent kept them out of trouble. So maybe better looking, and a little smarter than SDak

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[Chris19]

Uffda! Not all of South Dakota subscribes to Rush Limbaugh type of thinking, but it is true that there may be more of it in South Dakota. I know enough people who are centrists, who are either registered as Democrats or Republicans (as for me, I am a registered Democrat but sometimes vote Republican-I vote for the person).

I am not sure how North Dakota is broken down politically by areas, but the central and western parts of South Dakota is very conservative with a couple of exceptions and eastern South Dakota is moderate (and many Republicans in this part of the state are generally more centrist and moderate in their view than their counterparts in rest of SD).

Eastern SD has areas where Democrats hold their own and this includes: very NE part of the state (Day, Roberts, and Marshall Counties), James River Valley (Huron, Aberdeen, Mitchell), Yankton, Vermillion, and Union County. Sioux Falls as a whole is a bellweather and split. Lincoln County and the portions of Sioux Falls in it (with some higher-end homes) has traditionally leaned Republican and has been that way for a long time.

South Dakota is traditionally a conservative Republican state but has been trending more in a centrist position in the past few years.