The stark economic rift between Democrats and Republicans documented after Donald Trump's 2016 victory has grown even wider: In the 2020 election, Joe Biden's winning base corresponded to 70% of America's economic activity, while Trump's losing base of 2,497 counties represents just 29% of the economy. Mark Muro, Eli Byerly Duke, Yang You, and Robert Maxim discuss what this economic divide between blue and red America could mean for the nation's political landscape.
New exit poll data indicate that, in key Rust Belt and Sun Belt battlegrounds, Joe Biden benefitted from lower Republican margins among some of the groups that handed Trump his 2016 victory. William Frey explains that this win includes both demographic elements of the "new American mainstream"—the growing voter blocs of youth, people of color, and the college-educated—and a "demographic blowback," largely comprised of older whites without college degrees.
Andre Perry reflects on what the continued support for Donald Trump means for how we define the "soul" of America. "The president's sustained support demonstrates that the mirror we hold up to America's soul should force us to reflect on the beliefs, the systems, and the political practices that elected him," he writes.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Featuring opening keynote remarks from Senator Amy Klobuchar
More from Brookings Metro
What state and local ballot measures mean for community recovery. Voters' enthusiasm in the 2020 election have decided not only which party controls the White House and Congress. A new brief from Amy Liu and Reniya Dinkins highlights some key state and local ballot measures, with an appendix that includes regularly updated results.
As COVID-19 cases surge, the U.S. economic recovery is losing steam. Employers in 191 metro areas added 635,000 jobs in September, compared to the 1.1 million jobs they added in August, marking the smallest increase in jobs since employment began to rebound in May, Sarah Crump, MaryAnn Placheril, and Alan Berube reveal in a new blog post.
How Cleveland's innovation district is advancing equity. Julie Wagner describes how the Health-Tech Corridor in Cleveland is fostering equitable community development in low-income neighborhoods by training local residents to participate in the innovation economy.
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