Anatomy of a Purple State by Christopher A. Cooper

Anatomy of a Purple State

A North Carolina Politics Primer

Christopher A. Cooper

The University of North Carolina Press · Print & ebook · October 15, 2024

North Carolina represents a perfect distillation of the promise and peril of modern American democracy: hyperpartisanship, gerrymandering, dissatisfaction with the two-party system, the urban-rural divide—these issues are all brought into sharp relief in the Tar Heel State.

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Who it’s for
North Carolina’s political crosscurrents offer a clear lens on the strains shaping American democracy.
Themes
Hyperpartisanship and gerrymandering, The urban-rural divide, North Carolina's political system
Genres
State & Provincial Government, Southern U.S. History, Elections & Campaigns

About this book

North Carolina represents a perfect distillation of the promise and peril of modern American democracy: hyperpartisanship, gerrymandering, dissatisfaction with the two-party system, the urban-rural divide—these issues are all brought into sharp relief in the Tar Heel State. For that reason, North Carolina politics and government are increasingly of interest not just to North Carolina citizens but to journalists, political observers, and people across the country.

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Political scientist Christopher A. Cooper, to whom the national media go when they need a quote about North Carolina politics, offers a primer made for all people, no matter their political leanings. Readers will be introduced to everything that has made North Carolina the most purple of purple states—from the state constitution and the influence of think tanks to the growing racial diversity of the state and the limitations on the governor’s power. By explaining how we came to be in the political situation we are in, Cooper shows us where we might go next. And, as many have said, “As North Carolina goes, so goes the nation.”

One State, Big Questions

North Carolina’s political crosscurrents offer a clear lens on the strains shaping American democracy.

Come here for

  • A state-level view of hyperpartisanship, gerrymandering, and the urban-rural divide
  • A primer designed for readers across political leanings

Expect

  • Context on the constitution, think tanks, and limits on the governor’s power
  • A look at how North Carolina reached its current political moment

Where it sits

State & Provincial Government97%
Southern U.S. History33%
Elections & Campaigns30%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Southern U.S. History
  • Political History & Ideas
  • State & Provincial Government
Authors
Christopher A. Cooper
Publisher
The University of North Carolina Press
Published
October 15, 2024
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Hyperpartisanship and gerrymandering · The urban-rural divide · North Carolina's political system
Reading lane
Southern U.S. History