Did Rural Resentment of Government Employees Elect Donald Trump?

Abstract

A recent “rural resentment” hypothesis holds that the rise of conservative politicians in the state of Wisconsin is explained by rural residents’ resentment of beneficiaries of economic advantages, especially government employees (Cramer 2016a). We tested a national rural resentment hypothesis using survey methodology. 3820 respondents representing all 50 US states reported the extent to which they felt resentment- and admiration-related emotions toward public school teachers, state university professors, and agents of departments of natural resources, and reported the presidential candidate they voted for in the 2016 general election. Rural and urban Americans’ resentment of government employees was significantly lower than their admiration for members of those groups. Political party affiliation and education predicted resentment of government employees more than did rural-urban residence. Although Americans residing in rural areas were more likely to have voted for Donald Trump than Americans residing in urban areas, resentment of government employees accounted for a relatively small proportion of this effect.