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The Conservative States of America
the atlantic ^ | 3/29/11 | Richard Florida

Posted on 03/29/2011 3:04:33 PM PDT by Mozilla

America is an increasingly conservative nation, by ideology and by political affiliation, according to polling results from the Gallup Organization. While conservatives have long outnumbered liberals and moderates across the U.S., the study sheds new light on state-by-state patterns. The map below shows the pattern for the 50 states.

Mississippi is the first state with more than 50% conservative identification, with Idaho, Alabama, Wyoming, and Utah approaching that level, and Arkansas, South Carolina, North Dakota, Louisiana, and South Dakota (the rest of the top ten conservative states) 45% or higher. Conservatives outnumber liberals in even the most liberal-leaning states (excluding the District of Columbia): Vermont, (30.7% conservative to 30.5% liberal), Rhode Island (29.9% to 29.3%), and Massachusetts (29.9% to 28.0%).

Political commentators have long pointed to underlying social and economic sorting that underpins this growing conservative/ liberal divide. But what factors account for the growing conservatism of Americans and American states?

With the help of my colleague Charlotta Mellander, I decided to take a look. We ran a simple correlation analysis on the Gallup poll numbers, comparing conservative identification to a variety of key economic, demographic, and cultural factors by state. As always, our analysis only points to associations between variables; we do not make any claims about causation and note that other factors that we have not looked at might come into play. Still, a number of intriguing findings cropped up.

Not surprisingly, states with more conservatives are considerably more religious than liberal-leaning states. The correlation between conservative political affiliation and religion (the share of state population for which religion is an important part of daily life) is .63.

Conservatism, at least at the state level, appears to be growing stronger.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2010census; 2011polls; america; conservatism; conservatives; conservativestates; donttreadonme; elections; ideology; liberty; redstates; teaparty; teapartyrebellion; trends
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To: randita; fieldmarshaldj; Impy; BillyBoy

Ping


21 posted on 03/29/2011 6:14:10 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Muslims are a people of love, peace, and goodwill, and if you say that they aren't, they'll kill you)
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To: Mozilla; Clintonfatigued
Never should have a radical liberal-progressive government like the current one have come to power.

They came to power by lying about who they are. I think and hope that enough people have wised up and realized that there is no such thing as a "conservative" Democrat. A good many of the pretenders were thrown out on Nov. 2, but there are still plenty more than need to go, including the man at the top - the biggest pretender of them all.

22 posted on 03/29/2011 6:26:05 PM PDT by randita
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To: randita; GOPsterinMA

This may is very revealing. Some Freepers have noted the growing differences between the people who polulate these states.


23 posted on 03/29/2011 6:27:45 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Muslims are a people of love, peace, and goodwill, and if you say that they aren't, they'll kill you)
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To: Clintonfatigued; randita; fieldmarshaldj; buccaneer81; DarthVader
Clintonfatigued, not to toot my own horn, but as I've been reporting over the years here from liberal ground zero, being here is like being in a different reality, let alone a different country.

Not being alive in 1859-ish America, I don't know how people in the country felt. But, if there was a way to qualitate and quantitate “the mood” of those folks and compared it to what's out there today, I'd speculate the results would be very, very similar. And we know what started in 1861.

24 posted on 03/29/2011 7:03:01 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Some men DO just want to watch the world burn.)
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: Mozilla
America is a conservative nation. Never should have a radical liberal-progressive government like the current one have come to power.

So, how did it happen then?

26 posted on 03/29/2011 7:12:10 PM PDT by PENANCE
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To: PENANCE

Because the liberals will gladly install the devil himself as POTUS as long as it guarantees they’ll be free to murder their unborn children. They are absolutely without conscience.


27 posted on 03/29/2011 8:58:05 PM PDT by LouAvul
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To: Starboard
Liberals worship government

Liberals worship themselves. That's the basis of humanism.

28 posted on 03/29/2011 8:59:16 PM PDT by LouAvul
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To: Mozilla; Peanut Gallery

Say, that’d make a good Tagline. Oh wait...


29 posted on 03/29/2011 9:01:34 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (Conservative States of America has a nice ring to it.)
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To: RockinRight

[That last graph just kills the idea that conservatism is for the rich. ]

The libs just spin that idea by claiming that all them hicks in flyover country are being fooled by the big business fat cat industrialists.


30 posted on 03/29/2011 9:27:00 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: Mozilla
The green map makes you wonder how the current power holders in Washington D.C. were ever elected. Keep hammering home education points, pass it on emails, make your voices heard in every venue you can. We have a lot of educating to do before November 6, 2012. I hope a conservative cable channel comes to fruition soon.

42% of people say they are conservative, 20% say they are liberal. We need to educate the 38%, the independents, to the best of our abilities.

If November 6, 2012 doesn't produce a radical return to our limited government Constitutional Republic, then maybe it will be time to water the tree of liberty again. . .

31 posted on 03/29/2011 9:29:25 PM PDT by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: RKBA Democrat; Professional Engineer
Yes, Conservative States of America has a nice ring to it. Any ideas for the CSA Flag? : )
32 posted on 03/29/2011 9:36:30 PM PDT by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: PENANCE
So, how did it happen then?

Greed.

Greed is not wanting to keep what you earn, greed is wanting to keep what others earn.

Our politicians are just too happy to oblige.

33 posted on 03/29/2011 9:46:23 PM PDT by this_ol_patriot (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner)
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To: Mozilla
I disagree with the color of Illinois.

Take away Chicago and crook County and it would be a DARK Green too. (And we wish they could be taken away)

Any Red-Blue county by county map from Dubya's POTUS elections will show IL a sea of red away from those RAT Cesspools. CNN has the best maps (Gag. I hate to say that).

34 posted on 03/30/2011 4:52:13 AM PDT by Condor51 (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Congressman. But I repeat myself. [Mark Twain])
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To: Condor51
We have much the same situation in MO.

St. Louis can be a lot closer to Chicago than a map would seem to suggest.

35 posted on 03/30/2011 5:01:36 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: tacticalogic
***We have much the same situation in MO. St. Louis can be a lot closer to Chicago than a map would seem to suggest. ***

Yep. I know what you mean. Those big city 'urban areas' give the wrong impression to the 'elites' on each coast and then they think ALL of a state is like those hellholes.

When I was a teen in the 60's we'd joke that if you went 30 miles South of Joliet IL (about 35 mi SW of chi) you'd be in Kentucky. Well that's not far from the truth as far as the people and values go. As they do talk 'funny' (heavy accent) and are very conservative.

36 posted on 03/30/2011 5:12:23 AM PDT by Condor51 (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Congressman. But I repeat myself. [Mark Twain])
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To: this_ol_patriot
what I mean is, how can leftists keep getting elected if the majority of the electorate is conservative?

I don't think they can. Unless the definition of "conservative" used in presenting the poll results is skewed such that neither you nor I would consider some of those respondents to be conservatives if we spoke with them.

For example, how many Leftists would respond affirmatively to the question, "Would YOU like for YOUR taxes to be lower?"

Most of them would. After all, Leftists are not in favor of higher taxes, they're just in favor of OTHER PEOPLE paying higher taxes -- rich people (which they never consider themselves no matter what they themselves make).

I could think of a couple more examples, but, in short, I don't trust the results of the poll. I don't know the questions asked, the answers given, or how the poll defined people as "conservative" or not.

37 posted on 03/30/2011 6:12:22 AM PDT by PENANCE
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To: NWFLConservative

I was born in Raleigh, NC but grew up in Fla. My grandparents used to live in Zebulon, NC on 5 acres. At that time it was rural pasture and small family farms. When my grandfather passed away they sold the land and she moved in with my uncle in Wilmington. Years ago I went back to Zebulon for old times sake and it is nothing but track homes and yankees’ liberal madness.

Wilmington isn’t much better. Nothern libs who could not afford the Hamptons or the VA/NC outer banks flooded Wilmington and have made the cost of living outrageous. Not as bad as RTD but still a southern town that is becoming a lib enclave along the lines of the NJ or Delaware shore.

As a kid I spent many summers in Long Beach, NC with my cousins. Back then it was sleepy beach town. Now just another lib infested over priced waterfront community.

Haven’t been back to NC in years and have no desire nor plans to return.

I can relate to your sister I once worked for a company in Oakland. Hated living there. We’d have wackos protesting outside the office on any given day. Protesting such crazy things as the laborers used in harvesting almonds and yelling we should quit buying almonds.

I’ve been fortunate to live throughout the country and the worst places I lived were liberal bastions like CA., OR., and MN. IA was an odd place a mix of liberalism and conservatism with a twist, like the neighbor who one day is a lib and the next a conservative. AR and MS were conservative and would be places to retire to, if one could tolerate the humid death star summers, but not as a career place.

Am currently in Fla. due to economics but not anchored here even with family all living here.

The best places I have lived were OK, went to OU so biased even though OK is a great conservative state, and TX. But if I could live in one place I’d chose WY or Rapid City,SD. Business friendly, low taxes, individualism not collectivism revered, great quality and cost of living if one isn’t a “big city” person.


38 posted on 03/30/2011 9:15:54 AM PDT by CharlesMartelsGhost
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To: Art in Idaho

I’m rather partial to the Bonnie Blue Flag, but open to suggestions.


39 posted on 03/30/2011 11:08:04 AM PDT by Professional Engineer (Conservative States of America has a nice ring to it.)
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To: Professional Engineer
I’m rather partial to the Bonnie Blue Flag, but open to suggestions.

Interesting. Didn't know about it. Good looking white star and blue background. That would work. . with maybe crossed bars in the background?

40 posted on 03/30/2011 5:11:08 PM PDT by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only hope for Western Civilization.)
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