Podcast Summary

LSE: Public Lectures and Events

Episode: "Extra Innings: The Politics of Resentment in the 2016 US Presidential Election"
Speaker: Professor Kathy Kramer, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Date: August 25, 2017

Episode Overview

This special episode features Professor Kathy Kramer presenting her research on "the politics of rural resentment" and its role in reshaping American political dynamics, especially as they manifested in Wisconsin and contributed to both the rise of Scott Walker and the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Drawing on years of fieldwork and her book, The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker, Kramer explores the identity, perceptions, and grievances animating rural communities — and asks what this means for the future of democracy in America and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing the Study and Its Motivation (05:20–16:30)

• Professor Kramer outlines two foundational social science points:
  • Economic inequality has rapidly increased since the 1970s, with the wealthiest benefiting most (06:30).
  • Policy responsiveness in the US is skewed toward top income earners, regardless of political party (09:10).
  • The puzzle: Why do voters in struggling communities elect politicians who don’t represent their economic interests?

"We have this situation in which economic inequality is increasing, but it looks like we continue to vote in people who aren't doing anything about it."
— Kathy Kramer (11:00)

• Kramer's approach diverges from simply asking "why do people vote against their interests?" Instead, she seeks to understand the perspective and worldview shaping voter choices.

2. Research Methodology: Listening for Understanding (16:30–27:00)

• Beginning in 2007, Kramer traveled across 27 Wisconsin communities, 39 unique groups, listening in diners, gas stations, and local hangouts, aiming to uncover grassroots perceptions of politics and identity (17:00).
• She entered spaces as an outsider (university academic in a foreign car), observing how her presence was entwined with local attitudes toward "elites" (23:00).

3. Emergence of Rural Resentment (27:00–29:00)

• A strong rural–urban antagonism surfaced in small Wisconsin communities, not initially anticipated by Kramer.
• Rural residents described feeling neglected by politicians, deprived of resources, and disrespected by city dwellers (urbanites in Madison and Milwaukee).
• The phrase "rural consciousness" emerges: a collective identity shaped by perceived injustice — lack of attention, resources, and respect from urban elites (29:00).

"Basically what they were telling me is: we don't get our fair share of attention, we don't get our fair share of resources, and we don't get our fair share of respect."
— Kathy Kramer (29:55)

4. The Multi-layered Nature of Resentment (29:00–34:00)

• Resentment is directed at various "urban" entities:
  • Government (public employees, policymakers)
  • Racial minorities (often discussed in terms of welfare or resources)
  • City dwellers (generally perceived as disrespectful or unaware of rural life)
• Grievances are fueled by a sense of declining status: economic decline, disappearing jobs and businesses, and children leaving rural homes (33:00).

"It used to be possible to live in a place like this and have a good quality of life and it's no longer possible... The nature of things had a better order to it or there was a better way."
— Kathy Kramer (34:25, 40:35)

5. Political Exploitation: Scott Walker & Donald Trump (34:00–44:00)

• Scott Walker (Governor of Wisconsin): Tapped into public vs. private sector resentment, cut public employee benefits, and opposed infrastructure benefiting only urban centers (e.g., refusing federal funds for a high-speed rail between Madison and Milwaukee) (36:30).

"What he was saying was, you're right to be so upset...public employees are the haves and private employees are the have nots."
— Kathy Kramer (36:52)

• Donald Trump: His campaign rhetoric (birtherism, anti-immigration, “drain the swamp,” “make America great again”) leverages rural anxiety about status and cultural change, using antagonism towards urban elites, immigrants, and minorities (41:00).

"He tapped into this sense of status anxiety among a lot of folks...who were wondering what's going on in the world, that the US President can be a person of color."
— Kathy Kramer (41:30)

6. Voices from the Field: Firsthand Accounts (44:00–56:00)

• Kramer shares direct quotes from interviews, capturing resentment and humor:
  • Education & Respect:
    • "The attitude that we are the hick area of the state was painful."
      — "Theresa," retired teacher (44:50)
  • Disconnection from Urban Centers:
    • "They want us to do everything from Madison's laws...but we totally live differently than the city people live."
      — "Martha," rural community member (45:31)
  • Jokes about Urban Elites:
    • "Oh, you can keep him in Madison. That's where they keep all the bullshit."
      — "Henry," after a horse auction joke (46:47)

7. Post-Election: Expectations of Trump (56:00–61:00)

• Contrary to media narratives, some rural voters didn't expect Trump to deliver for their communities in material terms, but wanted to see a halt to resource flows they saw as undeserved elsewhere.
  • "We're used to living in poverty. We're used to it. It ain't never going to change. How many times we got to tell you that? But you don't listen." — Interviewee, rural Wisconsin (58:33)

8. Systemic Divisions and Difficult Questions (61:00–65:00)

• Parallels are drawn with urban feelings of neglect; shared grievances exist but coalitions are prevented by racism and divisive politics.
• Kramer cautions against choosing between “focusing on rural whites or urban minorities”; true reform requires new, unifying approaches.

9. Closing Reflections: Democracy and Civic Responsibility (65:00–end)

• Kramer invokes Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address:
  • "We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection..." (66:35)
• She urges collective responsibility: not just waiting for leaders to unite us, but for ordinary people to “quit teaching each other who it is that we are against and whom we should hate.” (67:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On academic detachment and empathy:

  “Where I start from is not with the question, what are people getting wrong? Or how can people be so stupid? But instead with the question, how are people understanding their world?” (12:22)

• On rural identity:

  “...we keep waving our hands and saying, yoo hoo, there’s another half of a state up here.”
  — "Theresa" (44:58)

• On status anxiety:

  “That notion of making America great again, in my mind very much taps into that sense that there was a time when the nature of things had a better order to it or there was a better way, we had a better quality of life.” (40:35)

• Humor in the face of resentment:

  “Oh, you can keep him in Madison. That’s where they keep all the bullshit.”
  — "Henry," joking about keeping a horse in the city (46:47) "We expect nothing less from Madison." (47:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:21 | Prof. Peter Trubowitz introduces Kathy Kramer | | 05:20 | Kramer begins: overview and motivation of her research | | 16:30 | Research methods: focus groups, rural communities | | 27:00 | Discovery of prevalent rural resentment | | 29:55 | Explanation of "rural consciousness" and its ingredients | | 34:00 | Connection to public employees and the Scott Walker administration | | 36:30 | Walker policies and rail controversy | | 41:30 | How Trump leveraged rural and status anxieties | | 44:50 | Fieldwork excerpts: firsthand rural perspectives | | 46:47 | Humor, jokes, and local culture in rural groups | | 56:00 | Rural expectations of Trump post-election | | 61:00 | Urban-rural coalitions, the enduring obstacle of racism | | 66:35 | Lincoln’s inaugural address and closing reflections | | 67:21 | Final thoughts on democracy and civic responsibility |

Tone and Language

Kramer combines sobering analysis with warmth, humor, and humility, foregrounding the voices and lived experiences of rural Wisconsinites. She works to balance empathy with critical reflection, closing on a hopeful appeal for renewed civic unity.

For Further Listening

To explore more on rural politics, American democracy, and the urban–rural divide, check out earlier episodes in the LSE "Ballpark" summer lecture series, as well as Professor Kramer’s book, The Politics of Resentment.