Minnesota: understanding national issues through a territorial lens
Located in the heart of a mostly Republican Midwest, Minnesota stood out in the 2016 presidential election, with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton winning 46.5 % of the vote, in keeping with the State’s Democratic tradition. In the 2020 presidential campaign Minnesota has been a battleground state, as President Trump and Joe Biden are both intent on winning its 10 votes in the Electoral College.
It has also been presented as a possible swing state within the Heartland.
To shed light on what is at stake in Minnesota, this paper shows that taking into account local realities helps gain deeper insight into dynamics at work nationally.
Building on existing literature and interviews conducted locally, we highlight Minnesota’s political, economic, social and institutional specificities. Particular emphasis is placed on institutions established to foster redistributive policies and regulate urban development.
However, as in many other states, the past few years have seen a deepening of the urban-rural divide — here pitting the dynamic Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area vs. Greater Minnesota, and of racial and social inequalities.
This content is available in French : Le Minnesota : comprendre les enjeux nationaux au prisme des territoires.
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