The Politics of the Rural Vote

51 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2007

Abstract

This article is about dispelling myths. Rural dwellers are thought to live in peaceful idyllic settings where issues are simple and unproblematic. A reduced focus on material goods renders money of less concern than in the faster paced style of urban living. Moreover, the political interests of rural dwellers are more fully protected than warranted by their actual numbers. Due to the Framers' compromises on behalf of the smaller states, institutional protections are inherent in our system of government for rural interests. These protections render conventional concerns about garnering political attention, acquiring political funding, and attaining political power largely irrelevant. For example, the issue most important to rural dwellers, that of federal subsidies to protect family farms, receives both attention and substantial congressional funding.

False. Entirely, demonstrably false. This article explores the intersection of money, politics, and rural dwellers, and concludes that, contrary to popular belief, rural dwellers have disproportionately little political voice.

Keywords: rural, political contributions, electoral college, political representation, political power

Suggested Citation

Bassett, Debra Lyn, The Politics of the Rural Vote. Arizona State Law Journal, Vol. 35, No. 743, 2003, U of Alabama Public Law Research, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1030390

Debra Lyn Bassett (Contact Author)

Southwestern Law School ( email )

3050 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
111
Abstract Views
911
Rank
444,645
PlumX Metrics