[Wallace T.]

Low fertility rates, higher frequency of homosexuality, and a tendency for riskier behaviors seem to make multigenerational liberal Americans a relatively uncommon occurrence. The question is whether the Northeast and Upper Midwest will see a resurgence of traditional Americans or, like California, non-European immigrants, legal or not, will become the majority. States like Minnesota, Iowa, and Pennsylvania appear to have a glacial shift away from liberal dominance. However, California went from being a moderate to conservative state to one of the most liberal in only a few years.

Another thought regarding IQs and their relation to heredity. Why does the white population of Utah have a median IQ 17 points higher than that of West Virginia? The white population of both states is dominated by persons of British descent, although Utah's Mormon majority has a strong English component, due to the Yankee roots of the LDS church and the fact that early missionaries heavily evangelized England. West Virginia, OTOH, is dominated by the Scots-Irish. I don't imagine there is much genetic difference between the two groups.

[maine-iac7]

Another thought regarding IQs and their relation to heredity. Why does the white population of Utah have a median IQ 17 points higher than that of West Virginia

it may be because of the higher than average emphasis on education in Utah -

[Clemenza]

Speaking as someone from the northeast, I can tell you that the fastest disappearing demographic in New York are lower middle class whites, who usually coincide with those with a high school/some college level of education. The high price of real estate has pushed those people out of the region, leaving it to wealthier, secular whites, with growing numbers of middle class/upper middle class immigrants (think transplants from Hong Kong, Bangalore, and Moscow) and the native born AND immigrant nonwhite poor.

Perhaps the biggest factor in the decline of white birthrates in the northeast has been the decline in influence of the Catholic Church. White Catholics in places like New York, Rhode Island and Massachussets used to have very high birth rates. The secularization of subsequent generations and the high cost of living in those areas has caused the birthrate of white "Catholics" to decline considerably.

[FreedomCalls]

Why does the white population of Utah have a median IQ 17 points higher than that of West Virginia?

Students in West Virginia primarily go to public schools, students in Utah are more likely to go to private LDS schools.