From the White House to the county courthouse, we have you covered on rural politics and policy. Look no further for election analysis and rural voter data, reporting on how policymakers and federal programs are aiming to serve rural communities, or simply the many roles rural people and places play in democracy and civic life.
Republican-Voting Mountain Counties in N.C. Urge State to Expand Medicaid
For months, the CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital has quietly traveled to county commission meetings in Western North Carolina to give presentations on the benefits of Medicaid expansion. Five counties and several towns in the region have responded with resolutions of support.
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Deadly Crashes on Rural Roads Prompt New Safety Efforts
While the infrastructure bill recently passed in the U.S. Senate is proposing to invest $300 million of federal money in the rural road safety, a number of states are already working independently towards that goal.
Shrinking Rural America Faces State Power Struggle
As the new round of Congressional redistricting is around the corner, rural areas with diminishing populations might see that reflected in less power in statehouses and Congress.
Commentary: National Cookie-Cutter Voter Plan Won’t Help Rural Democrats
A consultant’s plan to reach rural voters calls for spending twice as much on text messages as on Facebook and local media ad buys combined. That’s just one way this plan falls short of providing the right tools and leadership for the job.
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Rural Infections Drop by 5%; Death Rate Continues to Rise
Nine out of every 10 counties has a high rate of infection.
Advocates Hope New Mexico Bill Offers National Model For Frontier Equity
Recently passed legislation establishes a new ombudsperson role for bringing the perspectives and needs of rural communities into the state’s policy- and grant-making processes.
Q&A: 23-Year-Old Rural Organizer Anderson Clayton on Making Change and Coming Home
Clayton returned to live, work and organize in her hometown of Roxboro, North Carolina after realizing she could help make it “a place that young people with bright ideas don’t feel forced to leave, but instead want to come back home to.”
USDA Adds Online Listening Sessions to Its Review of Racial Justice and Equity
USDA also added more time for stakeholders to comment on how the department serves marginalized and vulnerable communities. The effort is a response to an executive order affecting all Executive Branch agencies.
Analysis: The Silver Lining for Rural America in the Supreme Court’s Voting-Rights Decision
The decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee is bad news for rural voters. But the dissenting opinion covers new ground in examining the unique challenges that confront rural voters.
After Strong Opposition, OMB Rejects Change in Metropolitan Definition
The proposal would have raised the population threshold for a core city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area from 50,000 to 100,000. Ninety-seven percent of the public comments about the change were negative.
Commentary: USDA Seeks Comments on Advancing Racial Justice and Equity
How can USDA programs help more of us achieve the American dream? You have until July 15 to share your thoughts.
Will Biden Deliver for Rural America? The Promise of the American Rescue Plan
The federal relief package from the Biden administration is a reminder that rural development and recovery are tied to the priorities outlined at the highest levels of power.
American Families Plan Will Help Lift Rural America Out of Poverty, White House Says
The federal funding package would invest in rural education, child care, offer paid family leave, and cut taxes for families and workers.
Tracing the Divide: Urban and Rural Voting Preferences Started to Diverge in the 1970s
When we group counties by how rural or urban they are, we see voting patterns that go back a half century.
Alabama’s Solution to Its Prison Problem Is More Prisons
Building “shiny new cages” is not going to resolve a Department of Justice lawsuit against the state’s penal system, says an opponent of proposed privately-built prisons.
Commentary: Democrats Could Win Rural Votes Thanks to President Biden’s Pro-Rural Agenda. But There’s More Work To Be Done.
The 2021 Rural Policy Action Report from organizers across the diverse rural spectrum sets bold policy goals and challenges the current administration to act now.
Biden’s First Budget Proposal Recognizes Some Rural Needs
The president’s first budget proposal, separate from his infrastructure plan, addresses rural housing, e-connectivity, and economic development.
Commentary: Rural Americans Need to See Themselves as Part of America’s Diversity
Rural people aren’t adequately represented in the institutions that define and govern the nation. To correct this, we can work with other people who are overlooked.
Congress Fixed an Old Bill Threatening Fiscal Health of Rural Clinics
A legislative glitch from 2020 Covid-19 relief package put many of the rural clinics at risk of deepening their fiscal distress. Newly passed legislation aims to fix that.
Too Poor to Protect: When Cost-Benefit Analysis Leaves Towns to “Wash Away”
For decades, many communities were deemed too poor for federal flood protection. Now a new section of the federal water law could help them.
Commentary: Can Democrats Compete Again in Rural Missouri?
The former head of rural outreach for the Democratic Party in Missouri plans to initiate her own strategy for attracting rural voters.
Can the Power of Storytelling Unify a Divided America?
And what do Star Wars, Dolly Parton, and Jackbox Games have to do with it? Listen to the latest episode of our new podcast, Everywhere Radio, to find out.
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