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During the semester, I shall post course material and students will comment on it. Students are also free to comment on any aspect of American politics, either current or historical. There are only two major limitations: no coarse language, and no derogatory comments about people at the Claremont Colleges. This blog is on the open Internet, so post nothing that you would not want a potential employer to see. Syllabus: http://gov20h.blogspot.com/2023/08/draft-introduction-to-american-politics.html

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

19th St

In my city, there is one street that is famous for dividing two very different communities. 19th Street doesn't need census evidence to prove that it is a major dividing line, either. By crossing the street and walking a block on either side, the viewer will seen a drastic change in the types of houses and individuals who make up either side. From listening to others talk in class, I know that this is not an isolated phenomena but instead a pattern that is seen throughout the country. I believe that these cases exemplify Murray's argument about the geographic division between different classes. 19th Street is a particularly good example, also, because the majority of individuals who live on the side with the lower income and education levels are white- though a smaller majority than the other side.

My city newspaper published this article that mentions 19th street and talks about the socioeconomic segregation of Cedar Rapids. The article also goes on to talk about how individuals reinforce the division when moving to certain areas.

I also think its worthy to check out the interactive map on the Washington Post site to compare the zip codes 52401 and 52403. Though the two do not correspond to the 19th St division, they both represent an individual side rather well. 52401 is the smaller income, less educated side of 19th St. The median income is $24,507 and only 20% of adults have college degrees. On the other side, the median income of 52403 is $55,024 and 38% of individuals have college degrees. I'd also like to note that 52403 includes all of the "better off" side of 19th and a portion of the "less better off" side of 19th, which influences its rating. Without that portion, I believe both levels would be even higher.

While I do see truth in much of Murrary's argument, I think that the makeup of my school discredits some of his argument about the size of your bubble depending almost primarily one's income and education level. The kids that went to my high school almost perfectly came from half on one side of 19th and half from the other. As a result, individuals were exposed to individuals with very different backgrounds on a day to day basis. While this did not destroy ignorance, it did help promote understanding between classes.

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