Abstract Search Find and explore abstracts from the RSS Annual Meeting

Community, Health, and Family

Place Identity and Place Resentment in the Rhode Island Electorate Julie Keller*, Julie Keller, Emily Lynch, Matthew Ulricksen,

An expanding body of work in the social sciences on place identity, place resentment, and politics has sought to improve our understanding of political behavior across urban-rural lines (e.g., Cramer, 2016; Kelly and Lobao, 2018). Recent Rhode Island elections indicate a distinct ‘place’ dichotomy in residents’ political behavior, suggesting that voting patterns may reflect place resentment and place identity rather than purely partisan preferences. This study analyzes and interprets original 2024 Rhode Island survey data compiled by YouGov as well as Rhode Island election data to enhance scholarship on the roles of place resentment and place identity as determinants of political behavior. Our analysis uses a validated scale of place resentment (Munis, 2022) and measures of place identity from the 2024 RI Survey Initiative, along with Rhode Island election data. Rhode Island offers a compelling case study of place resentment and place identity as determinants of political behavior, as the state’s small size places rural and urban communities in close proximity, enhancing the frequency and intensity of interaction between these communities. We conclude with a discussion of implications, including the relationship between place resentment and trust in the political system.