Our Patchwork Nation: The Surprising Truth About the "Real" America

A provocative counterargument to the blue/red divide that illuminates our country's multidimensional political spectrum.

In a climate of culture wars and economic uncertainty, the media have often reduced America to a simplistic schism between red and blue states. In response to that oversimplification, journalist Dante Chinni teamed up with political geographer James Gimpel, using on-the-ground reporting and statistical analysis to get past generalizations and probe American communities in depth.

Looking at the data, they recognized that the country breaks into twelve distinct types of communities, whose differences and specific concerns shed light on the subtle distinctions in how Americans vote, shop, and otherwise behave. Showcasing personal interviews, combined with facts and statistics, Our Patchwork Nation offers a brilliant new way to examine the issues that matter most to our communities, and to our nation.

Dante Chinni is the correspondent for the Patchwork nation project, a collaboration among The Christian Science Monitor, PBS News Hour, and PBS member stations. He lives in Washington, D.C.
James Gimpel, Ph.D., is a professor of government at the University of Maryland, College Park.