The US political map is famously divided between Republican ‘red states’ and Democrat ‘blue states’. Though this might be an American exception to the political colour scheme that applies elsewhere in the world, it works well geographically – given that most of the blue states are coastal.
So, is there something about the oceans (or the Great Lakes) that inclines people to the left? Only that American cities tend to be coastal and that urban voters turn out for the Democrats:
This is a story we’re not entirely unfamiliar on this side of the pond, which is why Ed Glaeser’s advice to Republicans in an article for City Journal is relevant to British Conservatives too:
“The GOP wasn’t always so dismissive of cities,” he argues:
Of course, we all know how things turned out for Tricky Dicky, but at least the guy won elections – unlike modern-day Republicans:
Note the sneering contempt for public transport – typical of a party consumed by its knee-jerk hostility to the public sphere. Such an attitude might be attractive to those that can afford to create their own entirely private bubbles in which to live their lives, but in a city this is a luxury that few can afford.
In an urban environment, a decent quality of life for most people depends upon investment in the shared spaces and services that make up the public sphere. By having nothing positive to say on these issues, the right surrenders the urban vote to the left. This is doubly shameful, because as Ed Glaeser shows, conservative and market-orientated ideas on policing, schools reform, road pricing and competition in public services have a huge contribution to make to our cities.
Furthermore, with the right approach, conservative leaders like Rudy Giuliani and Boris Johnson can win over the most cosmopolitan of electorates. However, in order to make the most of this potential, two things need to happen.
Firstly, real boldness on decentralisation: Cities should be seen as organic entities with the local knowledge and spirit to run their own affairs; not as dumping grounds of social need to be managed from afar. Secondly, we need to build urban homes fit for families: If middle class voters feel compelled to grab their children and run for the suburbs as soon as they can, the urban conservative cause will remain a hopeless one.