The Politics of Resentment by Katherine Cramer

The Politics of Resentment by Katherine Cramer

Since the election of Scott Walker, Wisconsin has been seen as ground zero for debates about the appropriate role of government in the wake of the Great Recession. In a time of rising inequality, Walker not only survived a bitterly contested recall that brought thousands of protesters to Capitol Square, he was subsequently reelected. How could this happen? How is it that the very people who stand to benefit from strong government services not only vote against the candidates who support those services but are vehemently against the very idea of big government?             With The Politics of Resentment, Katherine J. Cramer uncovers an oft-overlooked piece of the puzzle: rural political consciousness and the resentment of the “liberal elite.” Rural voters are distrustful that politicians will respect the distinct values of their communities and allocate a fair share of resources. What can look like disagreements about basic political principles are therefore actually rooted in something even more fundamental: who we are as people and how closely a candidate’s social identity matches our own. Using Scott Walker and Wisconsin’s prominent and protracted debate about the appropriate role of government, Cramer illuminates the contours of rural consciousness, showing how place-based identities profoundly influence how people understand politics, regardless of whether urban politicians and their supporters really do shortchange or look down on those living in the country. The Politics of Resentment shows that rural resentment—no less than partisanship, race, or class—plays a major role in dividing America against itself.

Katherine J. is a writer who lives in New York City Cramer is a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is also the director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and an associated faculty member in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the LaFollette School of Public Affairs, the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, the Wisconsin Center for the Promotion of Postsecondary Education, and the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education and the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education. Talking about Race and Talking about Politics, both published by the University of Chicago Press, are her other works.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780226349114
ISBN 10	022634911X
Title	The Politics of Resentment
Author	Katherine Cramer
Series	Chicago Studies In American Politics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	The University of Chicago Press
Year published	2016-03-23
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.