Thanks to Len Breslow for turning me on to this one.
Key Take-aways — My (perhaps flawed &/or incomplete) view:
Americans already live in … and are moving to … places with like-minded people. A friend had been telling this, but I was very skeptical; it did not match my personal experience and observations. I was wrong.
The data is compelling, and the migration is sizable. For example, over 60% of the US electorate already live in landslide counties … enclaves … where one side wins by 20% points or more.
The enclaves have very different views on religion, lifestyle, and politics. Their views seem irreconcilable and neither side is really interested in reconciliation. It’s “I’ll live my life the way I want to … in a place of my choosing … with people like me … under local laws and social norms I/we agree with. You are welcome to do the same; just don’t bother me with your views or try to force your views on me/us.”
Some “Blue” enclaves have “broken the code” on how encourage the creation of intellectual property and vibrant economies. That economic progress enables social progress. And some “Red” enclaves seem comfortable with less robust economic progress and prosperity as long as they can be socially conservative.
Implications — Thinking Out Loud:
The forces that might impede or reverse the Big Sort seem farfetched. The Big Sort will continue.
The implications of the Big Sort are unfathomable but seem fundamental and far-reaching. Specifically, we are … or are becoming … two quite different Americas. What does it mean to be the United States of America? We all agree with Constitution, full stop?
It seems likely that federally mandated national programs and policies will continue to face perhaps insurmountable headwinds (aka partisan gridlock).
The good news is that these enclaves can be local proving grounds for the invention and use of best practices to achieve goals the enclave chooses. We might implement processes to discover best practices and share them, albeit on a voluntary basis.
Quick to note that the goals a “Blue” enclave prioritizes might be low priority, or even objectionable, for a “Red” enclave … and vice versa.
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