Initiative on Cities: Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide

Have cities become synonymous with the Left—and if so, does America’s growing urban-rural divide limit the political reach and success of the Democratic Party? In Why Cities Lose, Jonathan Rodden demonstrates that the Left's electoral challenges have deeper roots in economic and political geography. He argues that urban interests are systemically underrepresented in state legislatures and in Congress: with Democrats clustered in cities, Republicans often win legislative majorities despite losing the overall popular vote. The reasons why cities lose are therefore often the reasons why the Left loses too. Join the Initiative on Cities and Professor Rodden on Friday, December 6th at 12pm for a book talk on Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide. Lunch provided.