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This is nothing new, and it didn't happen overnight. The prosperous-vs-declining areas have been moving in that direction for at least a generation. Perhaps mor

This is nothing new, and it didn't happen overnight. The prosperous-vs-declining areas have been moving in that direction for at least a generation. Perhaps more magnified/pronounced in one area vs another, but on the whole this has been the trend for as long as I can recall. Nonetheless, a couple of observations: - Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska: regional chunks of comfortable/prosperous areas compared to the rhetoric espoused during the 2016 election campaign. I expected these to look much worse. - The map looks a lot like the federal distribution of taxes per dollar contributed: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vby1dJlsXmM/VtkJnusdGXI/AAAAAAAAJqk/EQXnfNLOqT0/s1600/fed_spending_dollar.JPG https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vby1dJlsXmM/VtkJnusdGXI/AAAAAAAAJ... - "A large portion of the country..." is actually "a large geo-graphic portion of the country"

uoaei 9y ago
Dismissing it offhand as "nothing new" is a little disingenuous. There may have always been this momentum but it didn't hit critical levels until lately, and that combined with the rise of globalism (whether that really is the culprit or not) has left a lot of people feeling down, literally, in the dumps. This information adds another facet to our understanding of today's political stage and it's worth paying attention to so we can better resolve it.
- jroseattle 9y ago
  > "Lately" I'm originally from Missouri and would say it hit critical level over 10 years ago. The state has been in decline in terms of personal income, GDP growth, and a host of other economic indicators since 2009. This includes the metro areas of KC and STL, who represent the lion's share of the upside of growth numbers. Take those away, and the rural areas are disastrous -- just as the chart shows. Stark differences when viewed on a county basis, but it's been on this trend for a long time. I can't speak to the rest of the country, though. As always, your mileage may vary.

uoaei 9y ago

Dismissing it offhand as "nothing new" is a little disingenuous. There may have always been this momentum but it didn't hit critical levels until lately, and that combined with the rise of globalism (whether that really is the culprit or not) has left a lot of people feeling down, literally, in the dumps. This information adds another facet to our understanding of today's political stage and it's worth paying attention to so we can better resolve it.

jroseattle 9y ago
> "Lately" I'm originally from Missouri and would say it hit critical level over 10 years ago. The state has been in decline in terms of personal income, GDP growth, and a host of other economic indicators since 2009. This includes the metro areas of KC and STL, who represent the lion's share of the upside of growth numbers. Take those away, and the rural areas are disastrous -- just as the chart shows. Stark differences when viewed on a county basis, but it's been on this trend for a long time. I can't speak to the rest of the country, though. As always, your mileage may vary.