Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Cities tend to have poor people and rich people. Poor are overwhelmingly Democrats. Rich are mostly Democrats. Republican strength is in middle class and people with families who tend to be in the suburbs.
Rich are not mostly (True) democrats -just rich folk that have not been mugged yet
My source is from November 2018 after the midterms - - as Trump's anti-intellectualism was on display for two years.
And its from notoriously inaccurate exit polls from an election that was good for Democrats.
Democrats anti-intellectualism was on full display for two years. Russia conspiracy? Believing any ambulance chaser if he said something bad about Republicans? "Settled science" which is a non-sequitir? Silencing of differing opinions?
Cities tend to attract the more intelligent. They know better than to vote for people that belong to a party that denigrates education and is anti science and anti facts.
The nature of large cities plays a role. Cities of 1 million or more people are home to many people who work in the "creative class". Jobs heavily steeped in technology and science. Other occupations are in that field include business and management, healthcare, education, and arts, culture and entertainment.
Houston has a strong energy sector in its economy. This might invite a strong Republican vote. However, it also has a strong science and technology sector, thanks to NASA. The University of Houston is a major part of the city's economy.
Chicago and Philadelphia have decent-size manufacturing sectors (Philadelphia has oil refineries). They have been transitioning away from reliance on manufacturing. Both are major finance centers, especially Chicago. Health, biotechonology, and IT are growing parts of the economy. Higher education is a big part of the economy in both cities.
And some cities have had 1 million+ people for a very long time. Philly, NYC, and Chicago. Older cities with traditionally large populations are typically crowded, always have been. Transportation, housing, competition for jobs, and other issues. Being poor in a rural area is different than being poor in the city. If you're poor in the rural areas, you better know how to farm, hunt, fish, etc. In the city, there's no way to hunt, farm, or fish. Having a large safety net in the cities has a practical purpose. If you lose your job through an economic downturn, you don't have rural living skills to turn to. You will need such a safety net. And then housing. This is a big problem in big cities. Not enough room, and millions living in a city. This is how public housing got started. It was originally for middle class families though. And then labor. Unions are a major factor in voting Democrat.
And then demographics are a major factor. All of the cities with 1 million+ people have minorities as the majority of the population. Only San Diego has a Non-Hispanic White population of 40% or higher. San Diego is the only Republican city in the top 10. Whites are 45% of the population, and defense/military are a huge part of San Diego's economy. Hispanics are 29% of the population, Asians are 16% of the population. African-Americans, the demographic least likely to support Republicans regardless of income, are 6.7% of San Diego's population, and dropping. African-Americans were close to 10% of San Diego's population around 1990. Like other California cities, the African-American population has been on the decline. San Diego might have a Republican mayor, but that will change. While Hispanics are 28-29% of the city's over all population, they are 63% of San Diego children. As soon as that segment of the population turns 18, things could change.
5 of the top 10 largest cities have Black populations of 20% or higher. In Philadelphia, Blacks are the largest group, at 41%. In Houston, Blacks are close to 26% of the population. NYC, Blacks are 24% of the population, in Chicago, Blacks are about 33% of the population. Blacks are 24-25% of Dallas' population. With the exception of Philadelphia (Hispanics are 14% of the population), these cities have Hispanic populations between 29% and 44% (especially Dallas and Houston).
The African-American population in Chicago has been dropping in both absolute number, as well as a percentage of the total population.
For the first time since the 1950s, there are less than 800,000 African Americans residing in Chicago itself. They are now the 3rd largest group in the city and represent about 28% of Chicago's population. A few years ago, the Hispanics in Chicago became the 2nd largest group in the city.
Both groups represent sizeable voting blocs within the city. Even though Chicago's mayor and aldermen run for office in non-partisan elections, it's well-known that most of the city's elected officials identify as Democrats.
Urban areas represent 80% of the US population and produces 85% of economic outlook, so maybe the remaining 20% (who receive handouts), should complain less about the areas where the hand-outs are coming from.
Because most heavily populated cities are sheeitholes?
I live in a city of 250+ million, completely Republican controlled and voted as one of the best cities year after year. Keep Dems out and we will be fine
People living in large population clusters begin to understand the need for communal action.
When you live in sparsely populated areas your own actions tend to have little effect on your neighbors, since you are widely spread apart. Thus, you can do what you want and few people will notice or care.
In densely packed areas, one person's actions can have an effect on a lot of people, because there are a lot of people close by to potentially affect. Thus, people living in these areas begin to understand that rules need to be made to reign in people's actions so that they minimally affect the many people surrounding them.
It's really that simple.
That could be part of it. Living in crowded areas does require some adjustments. People base their laws on population density. It's no coincidence that New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts have some of the strictest gun laws in America. I am not in favor of their gun laws. However, I notice something. Those are some of the most crowded states in the country. NJ has the highest population density in America. There is a fear of multiple people getting injured or killed from accidental gunfire or recklessness. On the flip side, said gun laws aren't really preventing the violence going on in Newark or Baltimore.
It's no coincidence that Boston has a great public transportation system. It's practical for Boston and vicinity. Alot of people living in a small area. You can't have entirety of Boston on the roads. It's not efficient. It faster to transported millions all at once throughout the city on rail lines than have everyone on the roads.
Contrast this with rural areas with very few people around. Less likely there will be a traffic jam.
Now, there is something more to add. Densely packed, high population areas have that "stranger" element. You are surrounded and yet alone. Someone described NYC like this: You can run into a million people, but barely speak to two. Having millions of people around you means being exposed to alot of things, daily. You have to mind your own business while being on guard. There are alot of laws to regulate urban living.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
