Do we live in 2 Americas?

Voters reward GOP for economics, but culture wars pull

us apart.
Adapted from: Chris Schlak USA TODAY 2022/10/14
Are Americans dividing – not just ideologically but also geographically – over politics? That appears
5 increasingly to be the case.
An Axios poll conducted in late July found that 58% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats have “thought
about moving to a state where the government better reflects their political and policy values.” And 69%
of Democrats and 65% of Republicans have “considered moving to a state that’s a closer match with their
cultural and social values.”
10 In 2021, a Redfin survey found that (…) 72% of people surveyed said they would consider relocating based
on a state’s laws regulating abortion. And that was months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.
Wade this June.
Urban vs. rural split is severe
Voting patterns already reflect this trend. Not a single city in the United States with a population of more
15 than 1 million people is led by a Republican mayor. (…) In America’s rural areas, home to a combined 46
million people, it’s Democrats who have become an endangered species.
Red states and blue states increasingly are moving in opposite directions on education policy, tax rates and,
of course, abortion. The nation’s second most populous state, Texas, has now effectively banned abortion.
In contrast, the most populated state, California, has become a self-proclaimed sanctuary for women
20 seeking abortions.
Where do our growing divisions, and our growing geographical segregation based on politics, lead us? Are
we becoming Red America and Blue America instead of the United States of America?
Polarization leads to extremism
I’m worried. A psychological phenomenon called group polarization involves “the tendency for groups to
25 show a shift toward the extremes of decision-making when compared to decisions made by individuals.” In
other words, when in a like-minded group, individuals tend to become more extreme.
Imagine what this might look like at the state and national levels as we self-segregate based on ideology.
(…)
Yet there’s hope – and an opening for Republican leaders – based on economics. The Axios poll found that
30 economic reasons such as cost of living and jobs remain the primary reason people move from one state to
another.
And it’s red states such as Florida and Texas that tend to have lower taxes, fewer regulations and a much
friendlier business environment. It’s not by accident that companies such as Caterpillar, Citadel, Hewlett
Packard, Oracle and Tesla have left deep blue California and Illinois for better opportunities in the
35 Republican havens of Florida and Texas.
In a 2022 poll conducted by Chief Executive, about 700 CEOs and business owners ranked Texas as the best
state for business, a ranking the state has held every year since 2001. Among those moving to Texas from
other states, the top reasons listed are jobs, less expensive land and homes, and lower taxes.
Florida, which also boasts(1) of no state income tax and less regulation, was No. 2 on the Chief Executive
40 list of best states for businesses. California was dead last. (…)
It’s not just corporations that are flocking(2) to red states. Millions of Americans are as well. Six of the 10
fastest-growing states in the nation, including Florida and Texas, are dominated by Republicans. (…).

1 to boast = to have or own something to be proud about

2 to flock = to move or come together in large numbers

 Even as Florida’s population has grown rapidly, it has become more conservative. (…) Republican voters
now outnumber Democratic voters for the first time in Florida’s modern history. (…)
45 As long as economics remains the dominant reason for state-to-state migration and voter loyalty,
Republicans and the conservative movement have a bright future.
But the tendency of some prominent Republican leaders to dwell on(3) hot-button(4) cultural issues could
hurt the party’s long-term chances. How many business leaders had second thoughts(5) when Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis took on "woke" Disney this year? How many people, especially younger women, grew more
50 hesitant about living in Texas now that it has a near total ban on abortion?
(…) I fear that a further balkanization(6) of the nation into red America and blue America will make our
politics at the federal level even uglier and more dangerous.
If neither side is willing to live with one another, let alone talk to each other, then every election will seem
more and more critical and wins and losses harder to accept. Already, we’ve seen supporters of former
55 President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol because they refused to acknowledge his election loss.
A Republican Party and conservative movement that champion individual liberty, the rule of law and
economic growth can compete anywhere and against anyone. But a party and movement that wage culture
wars and appeal only to voters who share the same values will pull us further apart.
Americans are free to choose, of course, if they want to move to places that best represent their values.
60 But let’s not forget that we still share a country together.

3 to dwell on = to keep talking or thinking about something

4 hot button = a subject that is important to people and about which they have strong opinion

5 to have second thoughts = to change your opinion about something or start to doubt it

6 balkanization = process of dividing a territory into smaller, often hostile, units, based on ethnic,
religious or political differences
1. Useful vocabulary
a) Translate the word "politique" into English:
• la (science) politique :
• une (mesure) politique :
• des (mesures) politiques :
• un (homme) politique :
• des (hommes/femmes) politiques :
• le contexte politique :
b) How would you translate these words into French? Explain the differences in English.
economic =
economical =
the economy =
economics =
c) Match the following words (in bold in the text) with their meaning:
1. to reward A. to be greater in number than someone or something

2. a poll B. a division, a separation between parties or within a party

3. a split C. A general development or change in a situation

4. a pattern D. to battle against

5. a trend E. To forbid something

6. a tax rate F. To support or defend a person or belief enthusiastically

7. to ban G. a particular way in which something is done or organized
8. a shift H. a survey

9. to outnumber I. To fight or organize activities to achieve something

10. to take on J. To give sthg to (sb) in recognition of their efforts, or achievements

11. to champion K. A change in a position or direction

12. to wage L. The percentage of an amount or value that has to be paid

2. US institutions: vocabulary
a) (l.11) “And that was months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this June.” Translate the
sentence into French. What is the Supreme Court? Which of the three branches of government does it
represent? How are its members appointed? What is Roe v.Wade? How did the Court rule on the matter in
June 2022?
b) (l.56) “Already, we’ve seen supporters of former President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol because
they refused to acknowledge his election loss.” Where is the US Capitol located? What institution can be found
in this building? Explain which of the three branches of government this institution represents and what two
chambers it is composed of. What branch of government did (then) President Trump represent? What specific
event does this passage refer to?
c) The text refers to the Governor of Florida (l.51). What branch of a state’s government does a governor
represent? What institutions represent the other two branches at state level?
 3. Contextualizing the document
a. What do you know about the source of the document?
b. Is this written as an objective news article or a subjective opinion piece (column)? Justify your answer. Can
you guess the political preferences of the author? Justify your answer.
c. Place the cities and states mentioned in the text on the map (add line numbers or pages). How does the
article connect with the trends we noticed when working on populous US states and cities?
d. What constitutional principle explains that a state can have different policy than another on a number of
matters? Mention two such policy differences between states that are mentioned in the text, using
contrasting terms such as “while / whereas / unlike (…)”

4. US politics
a. The article refers to “blue states” and “red states” (line numbers). What do these colours refer to? Do you
know other symbols for each party? Which of the two parties is referred to by the acronym GOP
b. The document mentions a number of Republican values and policy preferences on a number of issues. List
them in the following grid, then describe the Democratic approach to these issues (a number of clues are
provided).

Issue Republican values and policy preferences Democratic values and policy preferences
Taxes on companies
Taxes on (higher) incomes
More economic regulation
Attitude towards Big
Business
Abortion

Now identify other differences between the two parties (based on the lecture) and fill the table below.
Issue Republican values and policy preferences Democratic values and policy preferences
Size of the government

Private solutions to social problems rather

than social programs, for example charities
and Foundations,
In favor of larger budget deficit to finance
social programs

Stance on social and moral

issues

5. Understanding the meaning of the document

a. Summarize the connection established by the author between politics and where Americans choose to live,
as well as the reasons he provides for this phenomenon.
b. The author expresses his concern over this trend: what terms does he use highlighting this sentiment?
Summarize what the author claims to be worried about.
c. The author ends the text with an indirect recommendation. Who is the advice directed at, and what does
it consist of?