"Exurbia": Democracy's Newest Battleground | David Masciotra | TMR

Live-streamed on April 8, 2024

David Masciotra, author, lecturer and journalist based in Indiana, discusses his recent book Exurbia Now: The Battleground of American Democracy.

David Masciotra then joins, first outlining the definition of the “exurbs” – distinct from suburbia due to its lower density and greater distance from urban centers, yet much wealthier and with much more robust infrastructure than rural areas – and exploring the particular role they play in bolstering far-right politics electorally. After contextualizing the rise of exurbs as a late-stage development of white flight beginning in the mid-‘90s, with real estate firms building up isolated communities in previously rural towns and using exclusionary politics and property tax gimmicks to recruit those still escaping the growing diversity of urban centers and even some suburban areas, Masciotra walks Sam and Emma through the infrastructure of exurbia’s isolation, with residents largely working outside of their towns while all civic, media, and commercial roles are taken over by mega-churches, casinos, and massive corporations, resulting in little-to-no connection with their community, much less the outside world. Wrapping up, David explores the major issue that comes with addressing these severely isolated communities, particularly when their “problems” largely arise from reactionary cultural issues grounded in racial resentment and Christian nationalism, and why our hope in conquering this issue lies in on-the-ground and bottom-up organizing.

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