How does concentrated economic power shape the possibilities and limits of democratic engagement in rural America? Vertically integrated agribusiness, declining labor competition, and financialized land and other markets have consolidated rural economic life, altering not only the distribution of economic rewards but also the foundations of civic participation and local governance.
What can we learn about democracy in rural contexts?
April 24, 2026
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
Rural Democracy and the Concentration of Economic Power: Research Roundtable and Workshop
This interdisciplinary research roundtable and workshop convened scholars from around the country to consider complex issues of concentrated economic power and its impact on rural democracy in the modern era. Key participants included:
Loka Ashwood, Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hiba Hafiz, Associate Professor and McHale Faculty Research Scholar, Boston College Law
Brian Highsmith, Assistant Professor, UCLA School of Law
Jessica A. Shoemaker, Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Nebraska College of Law
Archive of the event’s Call for Proposals.
Nicholas F. Jacobs, The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America
Dr. Nicholas Jacobs is a political scientist and assistant professor of government at Colby College. His recent co-authored work, The Rural Voter, combines detailed empirical research with empathy built from real-world experience to explore the evolution of a powerful rural voting bloc in modern American politics. At a time of increasing political polarization, Dr. Jacobs joins the Rural Reconciliation Project for an honest conversation about what divides—but could unite—rural and urban America.
October 24, 2024
12:00-1:00 pm
Online Webinar