In your country is there an urban-rural divide in political conservatism (rural being usually more conservative?). (statistics, suburban)

[markovian process]

Inspired by this post in my thread. Would the bicoastal United States by itself be considered as socially liberal as Canada, Australia or New Zealand?

Originally Posted by nei

One big difference that is true is since the country is so vast, it's easy for those in the interior to feel like the major cities of the country are disconnected and nearly foreign in a way that couldn't be possible in a European country. But it could be true in Australia and Canada. But you're assuming more rural = more conservative. Australian and Canadian rural areas might not be as conservative as most American rural areas. The rural-urban political divide wasn't so stark in the US decades ago, though culturally there was always some divide.

[Perfect Stranger]

Well, the NDP, the most socialist mainstream party in Canada, was born as a farmers party.

[theunbrainwashed]

Originally Posted by Perfect Stranger

Well, the NDP, the most socialist mainstream party in Canada, was born as a farmers party.

A lot of the old left-wing Democrats from the early 1900s in the US had their base of support from the farmers of the northern Plains as well. It used to be that rural voters in the Upper Midwestern US were the backbone of the old Progressive Party. In Minnesota, there's the legacy DLP, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. It's funny that, today, neo-Confederates call the Midwest the heart and soul of America and a virtuous region full of "Real Americans", but a lot of the Progressive Policies they hate today came from that region 80-100 years ago

[Perfect Stranger]

True. Good point.

[cmptrwlt]

Norway:

It is only very noticeable in the so-called Bible Belt in Southern and Western Norway. The Norwegian version is nothing like the one in the United States, though.

[dunno what to put here]

[Perfect Stranger]

Thw West Midlands seem surprisingly conservative according to this map.

[Davy-040]

Most to Least Conservative:


Dark Gray - Light Gray -
Light Red - Dark Red -

Light Pink - Dark Pink -

Light Blue - Dark Blue -
Light Green - Dark Green

[Ariete]

Recent studies show that it's not generally the case anymore. Yes, the larger cities are still more liberal than the countryside, but the difference is small. The "Bible Belt" in Ostrobothnia is the exception, and clearly noticeable for example in abortion statistics.

For example in the 2012 presidental election second round which was fought between an openly gay Green and a married moderate Conservative, showed no significant geographical difference in voting patterns, except for the city of Helsinki.

[The Postman]

I would say that is generally the case in Australia, although many suburban areas are similar to rural areas in voting patterns.