The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) hosted an event on May 30, 2025, titled “More Than Red vs. Blue: Stories, Struggles, and Strengths in Rural America”. This event is part of the People, Politics, and Places Fellowship, an RAI initiative that seeks to authentically engage Stanford students with the experiences, challenges, and contributions of rural communities, while reaffirming higher education’s responsibility to serve all corners of the nation.
Rural America is often reduced to a political talking point — red states, blue states, culture wars. But there’s a deeper story, rooted in place, community, and history. Drawing on his own research, Nicholas Jacobs, co-author of The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America, explored what it means to understand rural life on its own terms — and why doing so matters now more than ever.
Following a presentation of his research on the political and cultural dynamics shaping rural America, Professor Jacobs will be joined in conversation by Professor of Political Science and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Jonathan Rodden.
To learn more about Hoover’s People, Politics and Places Fellowship, visit: https://www.hoover.org/people-politics-and-places-fellowship?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=rai_description
Watch previous RAI event videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKruweaZqDNfQ1q7MQM32UVz8d63Y9mWM
For more information on future events, visit: https://www.hoover.org/reimagining-american-institutions?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=RAI_youtube
