Episode 2: Nick Jacobs, author of The Rural Voter, shares his findings and explains how the 'gap effect' leads to simple stories about rural and urban spaces

Side by Side

In this episode, Ellen interviews Nick Jacobs, co-author of "The Rural Voter," about the nuances of rural America and how they are often overlooked when we consider the complex relationship between rural and urban spaces. They discuss the methodology behind Nick’s research and the challenges of surveying rural populations. They also delve into "rural resentment" and the persistent misconceptions about rural and urban communities, despite examples of shared commonalities.

Episode Highlights:

01:00 The Beginnings of "The Rural Voter"

04:50 Challenges in Surveying Rural America

09:56 The Gap Effect

19:07 Rural Resentment vs. Rural Rage

29:00 Economic Integration in Rural Communities

33:42 Shared Sense of Fate

More Information:
Nick Jacobs bio, https://web.colby.edu/nfjacobs/

The Rural Voter, https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-rural-voter/9780231211581
New Book on Rural America Started with a False Conclusion, Then Looked For Evidence-The Daily Yonder, https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-white-rural-rage-which-came-first-the-title-or-the-research/2024/03/06/

How ‘Rural Studies’ Is Thinking About the Heartland - The New York Times (nytimes.com), https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/29/business/rural-studies-american-politics.html

UMN Extension Rural-Urban Interdependence, https://extension.umn.edu/community-development/rural-urban-interdependence

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