The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America

The Left Behind (Princeton University Press) argues that resentment toward the federal government in rural communities comes not from primarily economic concerns but from the perception that Washington is a distant threat to small towns. Rural residents are especially troubled by Washington’s lack of empathy for small-town norms like personal responsibility, frugality, cooperation, and common sense. Sociology professor Robert Wuthnow argues that to understand rural Americans’ anger, one must understand their culture as well.