This makes a well-documented case that a political "clustering" trend, begun in the mid-1970s, is increasingly dividing the cultural geography of the US down ideological lines. One statistic is really enough to convince me: "During the closely fought 1976 election, about a quarter of Americans lived in landslide counties (i.e. those that voted for a candidate by more than 20 percentage points). By the 2004 election, about half the country lived in such counties." (http://www.creators.com/opinion/david... )Not only does Bishop provide a significant amount of other demographic data substantiating this trend. He also illustrates the (qualitative) cultural changes as he encounters people around the country from the South Austin liberals to exurban fundamentalist Christians in Oregon. He belabors some of his points a little too long for me, but others might appreciate the less consequential details of this or that "sorting" phenomenon.This trend will not likely be remembered as anything other than a historical curiosity. But, since there is no apparent evidence that it is slowing, it's probably a good idea to take notice of these patterns in which we're involved. If that awareness results in (only slightly) better informed choices, it is important.

One of my mottos has always been "We're all from tribes not countries". Tribal boundaries overlay political boundaries. They are metageographical and are by nature invisible. Our tastes and preferences are a way of making the boundaries palpable.

This book might be filed under marketing, which would do a great injustice. It is amusing that even book categories are at the mercy of the boundaries of a label. ( )

Bishop describes the increasing polarization of American communities. There are Republican/conservative counties and neighborhoods, and there are Democratic/liberal counties and neighborhoods. Places where Democrats and Republicans are evenly mixed are becoming rarer. Bishop shows that this has happened not because of Gerrymandering or organized conspiracies, but because of individual decisions. Traditional institutions of government, mainline denominations, and unions have all lost credibility. As they have, people have migrated so as to live in like minded areas. Various triggers, including the culture wars of the 60s and racial divides, have been suggested for this change, but the book doesn't so much explain the sort as show how large the effect has been and how many things it is affecting. Most counties in the US are now landslide counties in the way that they vote. This is new, and was not the case prior to 1976. Within like minded communities, the prevailing opinions tend to become more extreme, as community members establish themselves as having adopted the values of the community. The two groups don't watch the same news, don't go to the same churches, don't choose the same leisure activities, and have different priorities for how they want their children to behave.

Formerly, not only did members of different parties often mix, but knowing a person's position on one issue did not tell much about their position on other issues, nor for that matter, about their lifestyle. Now it does. If one knows the dominant neighborhood position on government spending, one can make a very good guess about the local thinking on mass transit, military interventions, abortion, prayer in schools, gays, guns, and environmental issues, as well as what kinds recreation are popular and whether people are likely to drive Priuses or Chevy Suburbans.

Political parties no longer play for the center, which is small and ineffectual. Instead each party adopts strategies and positions that mobilize that party's base. Values issues, such as the teaching of evolution, have become much more important in people's association with a political position than pocketbook questions. Lack of faith public institutions such as public schools and government agencies have diminished support for all common efforts, in favor of value divides.

The transition to a services economy has also promoted division, between highly educated technical professionals and the less educated. The split is an urban/rural split: liberals move to the city to enjoy the culture and the lifestyle, while conservatives move to the exurbs to go someplace they feel safe. This trend was not all reversed in the Obama election by the way: In an enormous swath of the country reaching from southwest New York through the Appalachian region and continuing across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and northern Texas, Obama carried not one county.

Bishop doesn't have ideas on how the trend might be reversed, but he is very clear that it is bad for democracy. There isn't much dialog going on. There is very little mutual trust. And government is nearly deadlocked. Perhaps this will lead to decentralization of political initiative as like minded counties and states implement their own measures, with a diminishing sense of common nationhood as a result. ( )

This looks amazing... I just had an experience that made me think a lot about this. I went to a Rec. Center lotter sign-up in an affluent neighborhood in Denver -- they were the only Rec. Center offering a creative dance class. As I was waiting, I looked around and noticed how *white* the place was. It was so strange! To give this a little context, I work in a very "urban" library branch. I am a "minority" all day, every day as a white person; almost all of my customers are Hispanic or African American. I love the variety of people, ideas, cultures, everything. It really creeps me out when I'm in a situation where I see only people who look like me...like I've suddenly come upon a Stepford community. YIKES! Can't wait to see what this book has to say about the phenomenon.

A fascinating book documenting how Americans are using their ability to move to "sort" themselves into homogeneous, same-thinking commmunities that rarely have to interact with others who think differently. The key is that this is not done purposefully, but rather in the simple choices one has in finding a place to live that seems comfortable for them.
the problems with this sorting is that these communities start to become echo chambers for their particular veiws, and that drives them to ever greater extremes, making discussion between different communities uncommon, and uncomfortable when it does have to occur.
Well researched, competently written, this book explores the many different ways this affect us all. On the negative side (only slightly) it seems like the material is stretched just a bit in order to make it book length. But it is fascinating and thought-provoking in any case. ( )