1. Discussion Section Notes February 19, 2018
PLSC 111
Discussion Section Notes
February 19, 2018

2. Understanding Issues
Can urban people understand the needs of rural people?
And vice-versa?
Should anything be done to stem the loss of rural representation?
Less farmers
Rural health care crisis
Transportation funding issues
Water usage
Broadband
Brain drain
Owens River Valley, California

3. Are there issues that are purely urban?
Some issues shift
Drug issues used to be mostly urban, but now have moved across the country
Same with crime
Other issues based on place person is from
Immigration
Gun control
Social policy
Taxes sales vs. property
Everybody seems concerned about jobs and keeping young people

4. Background to Cramer Richard Fenno
Pioneered “soak and poke” brand of research
He basically followed political actors around and wrote on their activities.
Wrote “Homestyle” which is one of the most influential books in all of political science

5. Rural Consciousness
Wisconsin has been competitive at the state level for a while
It has very blue parts (Madison, City of Milwaukee, Lake Superior, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, Lacrosse, Menominee Reservation, Racine, Kenosha, Janesville)
And very red parts (the WOW counties, Fond du Lac, the suburban areas of the cities, and lean red in the Fox River Valley)
But as the southeastern part of the state has moved blue, much of northern Wisconsin has shifted red
Democrats have become a more urban party
Republicans have been receiving huge margins in the Milwaukee suburbs, similar to that of the south, not the Midwest

6. But in 2016
The state flips from blue to red for the first time since 1984 in the presidential race
Even though the state was usually competitive, it leaned blue
Reelected Ron Johnson too
Notice where the changes seemed to have occurred to go from a 6-7 point Obama win to a less than 1% Trump win
Also, there was a big turnout drop for Democrats in Milwaukee
Some have attributed this to the strict photo id law

7. Scott Walker Elected Governor in 2010
Defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett by
Former Milwaukee County Executive and State Representative (elected at 23)
Close ties to Koch Brothers
Ran for President in 2016
Running for Reelection in 2018

8. Act 10 The so-called “budget repair bill”
Ended collective bargaining rights for most state employees
Increased contributions to health and pension plans (10%)
Republicans had won large legislative majorities and passed this through
Democrats in the Senate fled to Illinois to prevent a quorum (19-14)
There were massive protests in Madison
Republicans managed to pass it without the missing Democrats

9. The Recalls
The Wisconsin Constitution allows for recalls of elected officials one year after their taking office
This meant that Walker and recently elected Republicans were not subject to recalls until 2012
However, State Senators elected in were subject to recalls
Two were recalled in 2011 and another in 2012, giving Dems the State Senate temporarily
They lose the majority when the newly enacted redistricting maps take effect
Walker survives the recall rematch with Barrett

10. More on the rural/urban divide
What is causing this?
Power distribution?
Resource distribution?
Proper role of government?
Different lifestyles?
Rural identity
Rural persons more likely to identify with that place
Identity over issues
Being ignored (think Trump saying forgotten man)
Resentment at cities
Dislike of public employees
Not getting their fair share
Distaste for elites
Perception versus reality

11. Elements of Rural Consciousness
Rural areas getting ignored by decision makers and leaders
Not getting their fair share of resources (support for less gov)
Values being misunderstood and disrespected by urbanites
This has led to group consciousness
Group identify politics for rural people, even though they are mostly white
Rural voters shifted to Dems, urban to GOP including in Wisconsin

12. Writing Assignment for Class
In your readings, one was about Rural Consciousness. Describe what this term means and why voters in rural Wisconsin had this feeling about the large cities in the state and their residents. What issues help to cause this.
This should be couple of paragraphs for a good answer