Rethinking Geographic Polarization in Social Science Research: Insights from a Conference at the Hoover Institution

Widening economic disparities in rich democracies are reinforcing political divisions, shaping voter preferences, and fueling broader conflicts. A 2025 Hoover Institution conference led by Elizabeth Mitchell Elder and Hans Lueders found that geographic polarization is a self-reinforcing cycle driven by policy, migration, social forces, and place-based identities. Researchers presenting at the conference emphasized regional investment, mobility support, and cross-regional coalitions to mitigate these divides and protect democratic stability.

Key Takeaways

• An important task for future research on geographic polarization is to move beyond the rural-urban binary. While the distinction between urban and rural places is a useful heuristic, it does not reflect the full complexity of geographic polarization.
• Polarization in attitudes needs to be understood distinctly from polarization across partisan lines. The reasons why voters support a particular party are complex, and drawing inferences about voters' attitudes based on their vote choice alone is misguided.
• Understanding geographic polarization requires combining structural analyses of economic and institutional change with insights into individual attitudes, identities, and political behavior. Merging these perspectives can reveal how economic shifts interact with psychological factors like place attachment, resentment, and political identity.

Rethinking Geographic Polarization in Social Science Research: Insights from a Conference at the Hoover Institution by Hoover Institution

Cite This Essay:

Elizabeth Mitchell Elder and Hans Lueders, "Rethinking Geographic Polarization in Social Science Research: Insights from a Conference at the Hoover Institution," Hoover Institution, Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, April 2025.