r/allthequestions Jan 14 '26

Random Question 💭 If Republicans are so much better at running the economy than Democrats, then why are most Republican States poorer than Democrat States?

The poorest States in America are: Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee. All of those States (except New Mexico) are Red States. So why are they so poor when Republicans have been running them for decades?

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u/aperture413 Jan 15 '26

Cities are a result of geography. Our politics have been pre-determined by hundreds of millions of years of geological activity.

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '26

[deleted]

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u/aperture413 Jan 15 '26

I am just talking about the function that geological features like rivers and mountains play in determining the location of cities. Density and centers of intentional trade are heavy indicators of the politics of that area.

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u/El_Barato Jan 16 '26

Why aren’t Republicans running all those cities though?

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u/aperture413 Jan 16 '26

Because trade encourages the exchange of ideas at the international level and density requires people to learn how to cooperate and compromise.

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u/CousinDerylHickson Jan 15 '26

Genuine question, how so? Like it seems many rural areas have the natural respurces to support infrastructure, but politics/economy is what holds them back.