Middle America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Middle America (disambiguation).
Middle America is an American colloquialism used to describe either a cultural mindset or region of the United States that, geographically, comprises the bulk of rural and suburban America. This term is usually used in contrast to the more metropolitan areas. The two mindsets reflect different values that portray a dichotomy in American culture. In regards to geographical usage, the term is not literal because one may hold "Middle American values" while not residing there and vice versa.
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[edit] As a Cultural and Geographical Label
Geographically, the label "Middle America" refers to the territory between the East (particularly the Northeast) and West coasts of the United States, and may refer to the inland portions of coastal states, especially if they are rural. Much of the California Central Valley and inland Pennsylvania, for example, are typically considered to be "Middle American". Alternatively, the term is used to the describe the Central United States.
"Middle America" is generally used as more of a cultural than a geographical label, suggesting a small town or suburb where most people are middle class, Protestant, and White, and is often caricatured in the same way as is the American 1950s decade. The idea of "Middle America" may exclude such locations as Chicago (the third-largest city in the United States and one of the world's ten Alpha world cities) and the very wealthy Aspen, Colorado. On the other hand, the coastal regions of the Southern United States are often implicitly included. (Note: In Geography, some sources use the term "Middle America" to refer to the area covering Mexico and Central America, since Mexico is not part of Central America).
[edit] Economy
The economy of "Middle America" is in fact traditionally agricultural, though presently most "Middle Americans" live in suburban locales. Compared to coastal America, home prices tend to be low (because land is abundant) and economic disparities are less pronounced. Housing prices in "Middle America" tend to be significantly less volatile than those on the coasts, and houses tend to appreciate in value more slowly within Middle America.
[edit] Politics
The phrase "Middle American values" is a political cliché, which like "family values" involves more traditional or conservative politics, although places like Madison, Wisconsin and Orange County, California provide an exception.
Many of the political battleground states are situated in "Middle America."
