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Abstract

Research on rural identity and political behavior has flourished in the past decade and has highlighted the importance of place-based resentment in shaping individuals’ views of government and politics. We provide a novel perspective on the rural-urban divide by examining the extent to which internal political efficacy and place-based resentment change as one is exposed to civic education. Our analysis suggests that rural identity plays a significant role in individuals’ growth in internal efficacy when exposed to civic education, especially for rural individuals who are first-generation college students. We also find that individuals’ place-based resentment remains unchanged by civic education, and that high resentment – found almost exclusively among rural individuals – constrains growth in internal political efficacy. Ultimately, the results shed light on fundamental questions in American democracy, such as who feels equipped to make a meaningful difference, who feels marginalized, and the extent to which civic education can boost or combat these issues, respectively.

Keywords

civic education place-based resentment political efficacy rural identity rural-urban divide

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