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How Does a Divided Wisconsin Move Forward?

  • League of Women Voters® of Dane County 720 Hill St, Ste 200 Madison, WI 53705-3539 United States (map)

How Does a Divided Wisconsin Move Forward?

During this virtual forum we will examine the deep political divide in Wisconsin, and explore whether the state can come together for the greater good.  

The November election results show the cities and suburbs in Wisconsin voted in greater numbers for Democratic candidates and the rural areas came out strongly in favor of Republican candidates. This divide was even more pronounced in 2020 than it was in 2016. Why is there such a wide urban-rural divide in Wisconsin?  Did the pandemic and unrest over racial justice play a role?  How did partisan media and disinformation influence this divide?  What needs to happen to heal the social and racial divides in Wisconsin?  Can Wisconsinites agree on any issues as we try to recover from the economic and societal injuries suffered in the past year? 

Two professors who have researched the political polarization in Wisconsin will help us understand where we are, how we got here, and how to move forward. Three community leaders will also weigh in on the problems and solutions. Your questions and thoughts will also be welcome during this Zoom webinar.

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Katherine Cramer is a Professor of Political Science and the Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker,  which brought to light the rural resentment toward cities and its implications for contemporary politics.

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Philip Chen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Beloit College. He studies race, ethnicity, and gender in political psychology, as well as political communication and how voters interpret and react to appeals from politicians and the media.

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Julie Keown-Bomar, is Executive Director of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, which provides statewide leadership in rural organizing and rural policy reform. Keown-Bomar also leads the organization’s “Rural Voices” project which tackles issues affecting rural Wisconsin farmers and communities.

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Angela Lang is Executive Director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities or BLOC. She also serves as Vice President of the ACLU of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Diverse and Resilient Board of Directors. Previously she served as Political Director with For Our Future Wisconsin.

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Masood Akhtar is the president and founder of We Are Many: United Against Hate, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a mission for fighting hate, bigotry and racism. The group recently announced that three Wisconsin high schools and UW-Stevens Point have launched chapters of WAM-UAH.

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Joy Cardin, Moderator

Retired WPR Talk Show Host, LWVWI Board Member, LWVDC Program Committee Member

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