The Overlooked Americans: The Resilience of Our Rural Towns and What It Means for Our Country

In this astute survey, Currid-Halkett (The Sum of Small Things), a professor of urban planning and public policy at the University of Southern California, challenges the “myth” of an America split apart by geography. Drawing on statistical data and interviews with people from across the country, she debunks the prevailing view of small-town America as poorer, less educated, and more illiberal than the nation’s metropolitan areas. This skewed perspective, she claims, is based partly on ignorance, but mostly on media outlets that traffic in fear, anger, and anxiety and politicians who find value in sowing discord. While distinctions do exist (rural Americans talk more about religion, have a greater sense of community, and are less invested in meritocracy; urbanites are more outspoken about progressive issues like abortion rights and gay marriages and more accepting of the government), on objective measures such as income and voting behavior and subjective measures such as happiness and empathy, Currid-Halkett’s research reveals more similarities than differences. Though she highlights numerous issues facing America, including vaccine skepticism, climate denialism, and educational inequality, Currid-Halkett is a strong believer in “our shared sense of humanity [and] our belief in each other.” Idealistic yet well-grounded, this is a refreshing antidote to doom and gloom prognostications of where America is headed. (June)