Rural communities in the United States have become a distinctive political concern. In this interdisciplinary volume, Nicholas Jacobs brings together a collection of leading experts in rural studies to offer a comprehensive framework for understanding rural America and expand the scope of existing research.

With data-driven analysis, this volume challenges rural-urban binaries by highlighting difference and evolution among rural people, challenging stereotypical narratives about rural decline and political extremism. By illuminating specific aspects of rural life and place-based experience, cutting-edge contributions consider the intersecting influences of social identity, economics, policy change, and media representation on rural life.