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I've been reading through much of the forum for a while now and one of the things I sense most is a sense of polarization in many states for various reasons. I live in New Jersey, which is a fairly polarized state because economically speaking, you have extreme wealth (NJ overall is one of the richest states and has towns which rank among the nation's 100 richest, such as Essex Fells) and extreme poverty in some of the nation's most infamous cities, such as Newark and Camden. NJ is culturally divided between suburban/rural and urban areas, and is also divided between the NYC metropolitan area and the rest of the state.
Which states do you view as the most polarized, having populations in different regions which are extremely different and don't feel loyalty/connection with the rest of the state?
Another big one would be New York - One of the most liberal states in the country because of New York City, Long Island, and the NYC suburbs/metropolitan area, but travel upstate and it's fairly conservative, very rural in certain areas, there's a big hunting culture, and you sense a lot of resentment towards the city.
Virginia also seems like this, in which a certain portion of the state (Northern Virginia) is fairly liberal, urbanized, and filled with transplants and commuters within the Washington D.C. metro area, and then travel south to the "true Virginia" and you feel as if you've re-entered the old Confederacy.
Going by representation and voting in the US House California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas seem to have some of the greatest extremes. Possibly Pennsylvania too, but it has somewhat more moderates.
In terms of wealth disparities California, Florida, Ohio, and Texas have some of the wealthiest and poorest zip codes.
Arizona, California, and Florida seem to have the highest on both those lists. (As in most poor and most rich)
Going by my own thinking I would guess Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have some strong polarization. Northern Virginia is referred to as practically part of the Northeast, but some parts of the West are fairly Appalachian. A similar situation occurs in North Carolina and Maryland. East Tennessee is historically Republican and largely white in a way I think West Tennessee is not. Although Oregon and Washington are also good, if in a way almost opposite, choices on East/West divide.
New York City vs. Upstate New York
Chicago vs. Illinois
Philadelphia vs. Pennsylvania vs. Pittsburgh
North Louisiana vs. South Louisiana vs. New Orleans
Atlanta vs. Georgia
Charlotte vs. North Carolina
The rural areas of West and East Texas are extremely conservative. The urban areas in Austin, El Paso, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston in the city proper are liberal. The suburbs definitely lean towards the conservative spectrum, a heavy lean. The Rio Grande Valley votes heavily democratic.
Then of course Illinois, California, New York, Georgia
Florida also may fit this definition but some one with better insight in the state should provide a geographical breakdown.
The "Gold Coast" (wealthy NYC suburbs) of southwestern Connecticut vs. the urban problems of cities like Bridgeport, New Haven
Affluent Massachusetts (parts of Boston and suburbs) vs. the urban poverty of parts of Boston, New Bedford, etc.
Florida: wealthy enclaves such as Sanibel, Ponte Vedra, Jupiter, Vero Beach vs. the urban poverty of parts of Miami vs. the rural poor in parts of north/central state.
California, Texas, Illinois, New York, etc., for reasons already mentioned
Michigan vs. Detroit is another. I heard nothing but absolute disdain from regular folks in Central/Western Michigan towards anything related to Detroit.
I've been reading through much of the forum for a while now and one of the things I sense most is a sense of polarization in many states for various reasons. I live in New Jersey, which is a fairly polarized state because economically speaking, you have extreme wealth (NJ overall is one of the richest states and has towns which rank among the nation's 100 richest, such as Essex Fells) and extreme poverty in some of the nation's most infamous cities, such as Newark and Camden. NJ is culturally divided between suburban/rural and urban areas, and is also divided between the NYC metropolitan area and the rest of the state.
Which states do you view as the most polarized, having populations in different regions which are extremely different and don't feel loyalty/connection with the rest of the state?
Another big one would be New York - One of the most liberal states in the country because of New York City, Long Island, and the NYC suburbs/metropolitan area, but travel upstate and it's fairly conservative, very rural in certain areas, there's a big hunting culture, and you sense a lot of resentment towards the city.
Virginia also seems like this, in which a certain portion of the state (Northern Virginia) is fairly liberal, urbanized, and filled with transplants and commuters within the Washington D.C. metro area, and then travel south to the "true Virginia" and you feel as if you've re-entered the old Confederacy.
In NY, the major cities and some of the college towns in Upstate NY are more "Liberal", but I would say that is more of a leaning versus that being completely the case. I think the most "liberal" city in the state might actually be Ithaca. Once you leave these cities though, it is more "conservative", even in the suburban areas for the most part.
Oregon and Washington. They both have the same thing going on, due to having basically the same geography. The majority of the people who live in Oregon and Washington live west of the Cascade Mountain Range, in the valleys and along the coasts. East of the Cascade Mountain Range is 3/4 of the land mass of both Oregon and Washington, and much of it is High Desert, mountainous, ranchland, some ag, small towns, sparsely populated. I know so many people who were born and raised in the valley or who have lived there so long they claim "citizenship", yet they have never been "over the hill" to see the other 3/4 of the state. Sometimes I think the same thing happens with politics and funding issues. Both Oregon and Washington's capitols are in the valley. And most of the time it seems like the politicians just plain forget the rest of the states exist. There was a joke going around a while back that Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington should be one state and Western Oregon and Western Washington should be the other (divided vertically instead of horizontally). Truthfully, considering culture, geography, and demographics, it would make a LOT of sense...
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