Middle America (United States)
- Middle America (United States)
Middle America is an American
colloquialism used to describe either a cultural mindset or region of theUnited States that, geographically, comprises the bulk of rural and suburban America. This term is usually used in contrast to the more metropolitan areas. The two mindsets reflect different values that portray adichotomy in American culture. In regards to geographical usage, the term is not literal because one may hold "Middle American values" while not residing there, and vice versa. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/02/01/do0102.xml Middle America warms to Barack Obama - Telegraph ] ] [ [http://chnm.gmu.edu/hardhats/time.middleamericans.html Time: Middle Americans ] ]"Middle America" may also be used to refer to
Mesoamerica , or the grouping ofCentral America andMexico . [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,903293-7,00.html Breaking the American Stereotypes - TIME ] ]As a cultural and geographical label
Geographically, the label "Middle America" refers to the territory between the
East Coast of the United States (particularly the northeast) and the West Coast. The term has been used in some cases to refer to the inland portions of coastal states, especially if they arerural . Much of theCalifornia Central Valley and inlandPennsylvania are typically considered to be "Middle American". Alternately, the term is used to describe thecentral United States ."Middle America" is generally used more as a cultural than geographical label, suggesting a small town or
suburb where most people aremiddle class , Protestant, and white. It is often caricatured in the same way as the American 1950s decade. The idea of "Middle America" may exclude locations such asChicago (the third largest city in theUnited States and one of the world's ten alpha cities) and the very wealthyAspen, Colorado . However, the coastal regions of thesouthern United States are often implicitly included.Economy
The economy of "Middle America" is traditionally agricultural, though most "Middle Americans" now live in suburban locales. Compared to coastal America, home prices tend to be low and economic disparities are less pronounced. Housing prices tend to be significantly less volatile than those on the coasts, and houses tend to appreciate in value more slowly.
Politics
The phrase "Middle American values" is a political cliché; like "
family values ", it refers to more traditional or conservative politics, although places likeMinneapolis ; Madison,Wisconsin ; andLawrence, Kansas (progressive but inland) provide exceptions.Many of the political
battleground state s are situated in "Middle America".ee also
* Americas
*Bicoastal
* Deep England
*Flyover country
*Red state vs. blue state divide References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… … Universalium
United States — This article is about the United States of America. For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation). United States of America … Wikipedia
Middle America — Middle American. Middle American, adj. 1. average middle class Americans as a group, as distinguished from the rich or poor or the politically extreme. 2. the Midwest. 3. continental North America S of the U.S., comprising Mexico, Central America … Universalium
Middle America — noun Date: 1841 1. the region of the western hemisphere including Mexico, Central America, often the West Indies, and sometimes Colombia and Venezuela 2. the midwestern section of the United States 3. the middle class segment of the United States … New Collegiate Dictionary
Islam in the United States — For a list of American Muslims, see List of American Muslims. American Muslim redirects here. For the magazine, see The American Muslim. American Muslims … Wikipedia
Midwestern United States — Midwest redirects here. For other uses, see Midwest (disambiguation). Midwest as defined by U.S. Census Bureau The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an… … Wikipedia
List of diplomatic missions of the United States — American diplomatic missions, including embassies (red), consulates, consular offices and embassy annexes (blue) and other representative offices (yellow) … Wikipedia
A People's History of the United States — is a 1980 nonfiction book by American historian and political scientist Howard Zinn. In the book, Zinn seeks to present American history through the eyes of those rarely heard in mainstream histories. A People s History , though originally a… … Wikipedia
Progressivism in the United States — Part of the Politics series on Progressivism Schools American Progressivism Modern liberalism Progressive education Ideas Anti racism Civil liberties … Wikipedia
President of the United States — POTUS redirects here. For political talk radio, see P.O.T.U.S. (Sirius XM). For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). For a list, see List of Presidents of the United States. President of the United States of America … Wikipedia
