Regional variation critical to understanding US politics

Many foreigners who visit the US focus on major cities and popular tourist sites. However, America is a large, populous and diverse country. With its federal system, the 50 states play essential roles in choosing the government in Washington, as well as the state governments that shape many of the policies that determine everyday life for American residents, visitors and businesses.
The regions of the US vary widely in terms of demographics, religion, culture, history, political values and priorities, economics, environment, and more. Even within many states, there are important variations. For example, some states, such as New York and California, have both large cities and rural areas. In another example, the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon divide very different subcultures in the western and eastern parts of those states.
While observers have tried to classify different regions of the US into categories, such efforts are challenging because the country varies in so many ways. Furthermore, Americans have a long history of immigration and are one of the world’s most mobile people, so the population is constantly in flux and has become increasingly urban. However, while acknowledging the difficulty in ascribing characteristics to regions that are evolving, understanding regional variations is crucial to understanding US politics.
Political preferences often map directly onto a region’s demographic, religious and cultural tendencies. Political pundits often talk about “red” and “blue” states. Red states tend to vote Republican in national and state elections, while blue states tend to vote Democratic. Swing states are “purple.” Demographics is one important factor that frequently plays a role in shaping a region’s politics. Urban and younger populations tend to vote Democratic, while rural and older populations more likely vote Republican. Race and ethnicity also play a major role.
There also are important cultural traits that vary between regions and shape politics. For example, the 2020 election map of red and blue states tends to align with Gallup polling on “religiosity.” The southeastern part of the country, from Texas to Florida and northward into Kentucky and North Carolina, tends to be very religious and to vote Republican, while the Pacific coast states and the northeast tend to be the least religious and to vote Democratic.
Another cultural typology envisions a spectrum running from “tight” to “loose.” In this approach, tight cultures strongly enforce clear rules and social norms, while loose cultures allow more room for variety and have less enforcement. While US culture as a whole tends to be relatively loose compared to the rest of the world, there are significant regional differences. Drawing on data from a 2014 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal and 2020 voting records, US states with tighter cultures, generally found in the south and middle of the country, tend to vote Republican, while states with looser cultures tend to vote Democratic.
One problem with data sets based on states is that they miss significant variation within many states. Research by author Colin Woodard suggests that there are 11 regional cultures in the US that do not cleanly match state borders, but rather reflect the historical pattern of settlement across the country. Woodard notes that these regional cultures are older than the modern political parties and their relationship with the country’s two main parties has changed over time. Today, some of the cultures are strongly allied with a particular party. For example, the Deep South and Greater Appalachia heavily vote Republican, while the Left Coast, Yankeedom and New Netherland strongly lean Democratic. Some others, such as El Norte, can go either way.

It has been suggested there are 11 regional cultures that do not cleanly match state borders, but rather reflect the historical pattern of settlement across the country.

Kerry Boyd Anderson

Drawing on polling and voting data, as well as cultural studies, it is possible to make some broad assumptions about US regions, while recognizing that there is significant nuance on the ground. The Pacific coast areas tend to be Democratic, less religious, tolerant of various lifestyles and concerned about the environment; they include large urban areas. Much of the arid and mountainous West is rural, Republican, individualistic and suspicious of institutions, especially government. The Midwest is also less populous but more religious, tries to balance the interests of the individual and the community, tends to dislike government and is mostly Republican. The south, running from parts of Texas to the Atlantic, is deeply Republican (except for its large Black population), very religious, has a tight culture and struggles more with racial divides than other parts of the country. The Mid-Atlantic region up through the northeast has a range of subcultures but tends to vote Democratic, is less religious, relatively loose and contains multiple large cities. Texas and Florida share traits with their broader regions but also are unique; indeed, Florida is a crucial battleground state in federal elections.
The diverse regions of the US come together as one country, united under the federal government. However, anyone who wishes to understand US culture, politics and economics must consider the wide variation across the country. The experiences of Americans living in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, rural Louisiana, small town Nebraska or along the shores of the Great Lakes can be very different. These differences will play a key role in determining the outcome of the next congressional elections in November.

• Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than 18 years of experience as a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk. Her previous positions include deputy director for advisory with Oxford Analytica. Twitter: @KBAresearch