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This week’s article deals with the political divide which is emerging between rural and urban voters. The author is Katherine Cramer who cites significant research she performed while working on her book The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker .
Directions
This is a two-part assignment. The primary goal is to allow students to demonstrate evidence of comprehension. The minimum recommended word count for the initial post is 700 words (not including direct quotations). In your initial response due Sunday, February 13th (11:55PM), directly address the following points:
Read the article above and address the following points in your post:
1) What seems to be driving the political divide between the cities and the more rural parts of the country in the minds of the Americans interviewed for this piece?
2) What appear to be the practical challenges facing rural America?
3) How do you see the political tension between the cities and rural America evolving over the next 2-4 years?
Please see the rubric attached.
Follow-Up Reply Directions
After your initial submission, select 2 posts from your peers and respond to them by Thursday, February 17th (11:55pm). The responses should be similar in quality to your initial post in terms of depth of thought and content. Quality responses do not simply agree with the author but substantially expand the discussion.
Instructions
Your initial post is due by Sunday, 11:59PM.
Post 2 substantive follow-up replies to your classmates. It is not sufficient to simply agree with the the author. You should provide content which brings value and extends the discussion. Follow-up posts are due by Thursday, 11:59PM.
There are 2 total possible points for this assignment–1 for the initial post and .5 for each reply.
Posts will be graded based on their breadth, scope, use of evidence, and coherence.
The main force dividing urbanites and rural people in the minds of those interviewed in the article is the sentiment that the latter have been abandoned by the government. At the turn of the 20th century, around 50 percent of Americans lived in rural areas. At present, the percentage is only around 20 percent. Reason for this is multi-faceted. The better economic prospects of cities have driven people out of