Review of The State of Disunion: Regional Sources of Modern American Partisanship by Nicole Mellow
Research Question
How does regional context shape modern American partisanship, and what does this imply for national polarization?
Main Finding
The review highlights evidence that regional political and economic contexts structure partisan conflict in durable ways. National party competition is deeply rooted in geographically distinct coalitions and issue priorities.
Research Design
Critical book review and conceptual synthesis of a major contribution in political geography and party politics.
Data Employed
Evidence summarized from Mellow’s historical, institutional, and electoral analysis of regional partisan development in the United States.
Substantive Importance
The review underscores that polarization is not only ideological but spatially organized. It situates regional cleavage as a central mechanism in the evolution of modern U.S. partisanship.
Research Areas
Book Review, Electoral Geography, Partisanship, Polarization
Citation
@article{disunion-review,
author = {Reeves, Andrew},
title = {Review of <i>The State of Disunion: Regional Sources of Modern American Partisanship</i> by Nicole Mellow},
journal = {Political Science Quarterly},
volume = {124},
number = {4},
pages = {743--744},
year = {2009},
}