We have written about the serious and widening gap between rural and urban America. The red/blue divide is largely a rural/urban divide — even within states. As urban areas prosper, rural areas are depopulating, coping with an aging population and suffering from more health problems (including opioid addiction). If rural America was as rich, healthy and vital as the urban centers and their thriving suburbs, President Donald Trump might not have been able to exploit this population with fear-mongering, racism and xenophobia.
If rural America recovers, could we get sustained growth above 3 percent? Increase the average lifespan?