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The Jefferson Exchange

The American Urban-Rural Split Examined: "Cities Lose"

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Having the candidate who won the most votes lose the presidency is not just a demonstration of the workings of the Electoral College.  It's also an example of a set of circumstances that provide opportunities for each political ideology, but not spread evenly across the country. 

Political scientist Jonathan Rodden gets into the details in his book Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide.  He shows how events both accidental and deliberate make Democrats and the left stronger in cities, and Republicans and the right stronger in rural areas.  The author joins us for an overview.
 

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The Jefferson Exchange is Jefferson Public Radio's daily news program focused on issues, people and events across Southern Oregon and Northern California. Angela Decker is the program's senior producer, Charlie Zimmermann is the assistant producer, and Geoffrey Riley hosts the show.