“Why Are Cities So Liberal? Exploring Political Divisions over Geographic Space”
May 17-18, 2019 Harvard University
The purpose of this conference is to engage a diverse group of scholars in cross-disciplinary discussion around a fundamental question of social and political life: why are cities so liberal and other places are not? In democracies around the world, population density is well-correlated with political attitudes: urban places are more socially and politically liberal, while suburban and rural communities are more conservative.
This conference will explore the nature of this urban-rural divide from diverse perspectives, including historical and economic sorting, political migration, the psychology of space, intergroup contact, and the evolution of cooperation across contexts.
The meeting is sponsored by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and organized by Riley Carney and Ryan Enos of the Harvard Department of Government.
Please see the conference agenda for more details. If you are interested in attending the conference, you can register here or contact Riley Carney for more information.