Rural rebellion : how Nebraska became a Republican stronghold
(Adult Book)

"What's the matter with Nebraska? The Cornhusker State has a famously independent history and stands out as the only state to have a nonpartisan, single-house legislature. But over the past three decades, like other states in "middle America," Nebraska has shifted from being a consistently centrist state to a deeply red and reliably Republican state. Many of the popular accounts of this partisan shift come from people who do not understand these states from the inside and are thus already unsympathetic with their concerns. As a native Nebraskan and professional journalist who has watched these changes unfold, Ross Benes understands intimately well why this happened. With unflinching honesty as well as deep empathy for his fellow Nebraskans, Benes explains how his home state became a Republican stronghold. With a blend of memoir, journalism, political science, and sociology, Cornhusker Red examines the changes that have taken place in America's heartland from the perspective of one who grew up there and still sees his home as "the good life." Benes explores key cultural and political topics, such as religion, healthcare, and immigration, as well as important Nebraskan institutions, including the state legislature, public university system, and political parties. Through detailed reporting and personal life experiences, Benes traces how his home state abandoned its nonpartisan legislature and kicked its most popular moderates and liberals to the curb while dark money, cultural resentment, and rigid political parties drove good-hearted working-class folks to embrace the policies and rhetoric of billionaires and reactionaries"--,Provided by publisher.