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Voices from Rural America

At the 250th anniversary of the United States, rural Americans are navigating a period of rapid political, economic, and technological change.

This project captures how communities across nine states understand the direction of the country, the strength of its institutions, and what needs to change.

3,340
Surveys
9
States
72%
Non-Democrats surveyed
62%
without a college degree

Research Findings

Rural residents are concerned about executive overreach, but have faith in the Constitution. Structural reforms, like term limits and caps on money in politics are popular. They are very concerned about the extractive nature of AI and corporations in rural areas.

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60%
say the constitution is strong enough to withstand modern threats.
FINDING 1
83%
support for the concept of age limits
FINDING 2
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in politics is clear and consistent contributor to the country’s current problems
FINDING 3
76%
concerned about disinformation and "deep fakes"
FINDING 4
81%
of independents say checks and balances are not working
FINDING 5

Messaging Takeaways

Practical considerations for engaging with residents in rural states.

  • Treat independents uniquely—not as “swing voters” 
  • Emphasize “accountability”—not “regulations”
  • Highlight local impact of AI and corporations—don’t demonize them   
  • View young people as frustrated—not apathetic


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Voices from Rural States

Filter by issue, age range, state, and political affiliation

Direct anecdotes from nearly 300 people who participated in the Rural Listening Project.

Read the responses
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Focus Group Participant
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Focus Group Participant

Demographic data

See the demographic breakdown of the survey, interview and focus group participants.

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72%
of respondents were Republicans and independents
55%
of respondents were working class
78%
from towns less than 25k in population