Suzanne Mettler.
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smettler.bsky.social
Suzanne Mettler.
@smettler.bsky.social

Political scientist. Thinking about democracy, rural-urban divide, inequality.

Suzanne Mettler is an American political scientist and author, known for her research about the way Americans view and respond to the government in their lives, and helping to stimulate the study of American political development. .. more

Political science 68%
Education 9%

Wow, that's very striking. Thanks for sharing, David!

Thank you for this generous post, @meredithconroy.bsky.social!
This was a great convo. @smettler.bsky.social is brilliant and here you can listen to her talk at length about an important topic - rural identity.
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

The Rural Power Behind Trump’s Assault on Blue Cities

The political scientist @smettler.bsky.social examines the roots of America’s urban-rural divide and how Democrats can win back rural voters.
open.spotify.com/episode/2zQ9...

youtu.be/M9bjypc1rS4?...

Thank you, @mattnelsen.bsky.social for this very thoughtful post!
I really enjoyed this conversation with @smettler.bsky.social about America’s urban-rural divide. In particular, emphasizing that Democrats should be consistently organizing—not just messaging—to rural Americans (and everyone for that matter) should be front of mind for the party.

(1/4)
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

The Rural Power Behind Trump’s Assault on Blue Cities

The political scientist @smettler.bsky.social examines the roots of America’s urban-rural divide and how Democrats can win back rural voters.
open.spotify.com/episode/2zQ9...

youtu.be/M9bjypc1rS4?...

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

This was a great convo. @smettler.bsky.social is brilliant and here you can listen to her talk at length about an important topic - rural identity.
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

The Rural Power Behind Trump’s Assault on Blue Cities

The political scientist @smettler.bsky.social examines the roots of America’s urban-rural divide and how Democrats can win back rural voters.
open.spotify.com/episode/2zQ9...

youtu.be/M9bjypc1rS4?...
Why Rural America Turned on the Democratic Party | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

I really enjoyed this conversation with @smettler.bsky.social about America’s urban-rural divide. In particular, emphasizing that Democrats should be consistently organizing—not just messaging—to rural Americans (and everyone for that matter) should be front of mind for the party.

(1/4)
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

The Rural Power Behind Trump’s Assault on Blue Cities

The political scientist @smettler.bsky.social examines the roots of America’s urban-rural divide and how Democrats can win back rural voters.
open.spotify.com/episode/2zQ9...

youtu.be/M9bjypc1rS4?...
Why Rural America Turned on the Democratic Party | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

The Rural Power Behind Trump’s Assault on Blue Cities

The political scientist @smettler.bsky.social examines the roots of America’s urban-rural divide and how Democrats can win back rural voters.
open.spotify.com/episode/2zQ9...

youtu.be/M9bjypc1rS4?...
Why Rural America Turned on the Democratic Party | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be

Reposted by Archon Fung

My conversation with Ezra Klein on Rural Versus Urban, with Trevor Brown. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/o...

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

@smettler.bsky.social, co-author of Rural Versus Urban with Trevor E. Brown, appeared on @cnn.com this morning with @audiecornish.bsky.social to discuss her new book. next.frame.io/share/3e8b90...

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

Honored to interview Dr. Suzanne Mettler about Rural vs. Urban, co-written Trevor Brown. @princetonupress.bsky.social The book unpacks the current threat to democracy and how it can be repaired. A must-read for the moment at hand.
Dr. Suzanne Mettler on Saving Democracy Before it's Too Late
The divide that threatens democracy can be repaired. Rural vs. Urban shows how.
tesscallahan.substack.com

Thank you, Miranda!!
Thrilled that my copy of Rural Versus Urban arrived in the mail today. Big congrats to @smettler.bsky.social and Trevor Brown! I can hardly wait to read it.

Look what just arrived! Our book, Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide that Threatens Democracy, is due out Sept. 23. www.amazon.com/Rural-Versus...

Thrilled to see this news, Mallory!! Congratulations!!

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

I'll be returning to campus this fall as the inaugural Tony and Teddie Brown Associate Professor of Public Policy.

I am excited to have earned tenure at Duke and humbled to receive this specific endowed chair (more on that later).

I've been sitting on this news for a while now...
One of grants frozen at Cornell: $6.7M (4 yrs) to develop heart pumps for babies born w/ heart defects.

It took decades of work to get to point of prepping device for in-human clinical trials. No private company could do this.

The cruelty of the Trump administration is heartbreaking. So to speak.
Research at risk: Life-saving heart pumps for babies | Cornell Chronicle
After receiving a stop-work order from the federal government, the future of a device to help children with heart defects is uncertain.
news.cornell.edu

Thanks, David! Glad to hear.

Trevor Brown and I have a new book out in September: Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy. (Princeton UP) Fits your description!

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

In this @usnews.com op-ed, ‪@nadiabell.bsky.social, @elianabuckner.bsky.social ‬& Benjamin Sommers argue the proposed work requirements for #Medicaid and #SNAP in the "Big, Beautiful Bill" could cost millions their #healthcare and food aid.

Learn more. ⤵️
www.usnews.com

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

Reminder that the CBO says that if the Reconciliation Bill goes through:
-7.6 million people would lose coverage because of Medicaid changes
-1 million would lose it because of changes to the ACA from E&C
-2.1 million would lose it because of changes by Ways and Means
www.cbo.gov/publication/...
Estimated Budgetary Effects of a Bill to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Budget on May 18, 2025
www.cbo.gov

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

CBO just released its own preliminary estimates for how rich vs poor are affected by the House budget bill. Roughly same conclusion: poorest get poorer, richest get richer.

www.cbo.gov/system/files...

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

It would be easier to believe all these Republicans who say they merely want to protect what they define as “the truly needy” if so many weren’t enthusiastic supporters of 2017 legislation to cut Medicaid for those very same people

Thank you, @milophd.bsky.social for revealing the submerged state...so many valued services, but government's role in providing them is unseen. What will happen once they are gone?
“everyday information that is based on federal data, such as weather forecasts, "doesn't have a label that says 'brought to you by the federal government'."

And now we know it should! But it’s too late.

Anyhoo, we see yet again the usefulness of @smettler.bsky.social “submerged state” thesis…
npr.org NPR @npr.org · May 6
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

“everyday information that is based on federal data, such as weather forecasts, "doesn't have a label that says 'brought to you by the federal government'."

And now we know it should! But it’s too late.

Anyhoo, we see yet again the usefulness of @smettler.bsky.social “submerged state” thesis…

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

People will say this is the result of a presidential election, and that’s partly true. But the Constitution does not delegate tariff power to the president, and he is only able to impose these ruinous, peace-destroying taxes because Congress has let him do so. Congress can end this at any time.

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

Corey Booker: “IF AMERICA
HASN'T BROKEN YOUR HEART, THEN YOU DON'T LOVE HER ENOUGH." 💙🥹

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

The Trump Administration is trying to forge a personalist authoritarian regime and honestly the conditions for success are there. However, they're *way* out over their skis at the moment. Their pure recklessness is making their path to success way harder 1/x

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

Reposted by Suzanne Mettler

The guy in charge of SSA is a mid-level manager, who's overseeing 20 percent of the federal budget, and yesterday tried to shutter the agency because he didn't understand the plain text of a court order. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.

Professors, planning to teach a course about democracy? The American Democracy Collaborative is sharing our syllabi for courses in US & comparative politics! americandemocracycollaborative.org w/ @tompepinsky.com @povertyscholar.bsky.social
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY COLLABORATIVE
Research, Teaching, Dialogue
americandemocracycollaborative.org