North Carolina is a purple state with a nearly equal number of Democrats and Republicans but at the state level, the GOP calls the shots. It turns out, our state represents the perfect distillation of the promise and peril of modern American democracy with hyper-partisanship, gerrymandering and dissatisfaction with both parties.
Political scientist, Dr. Chris Cooper, offers his take on the intricacies of North Carolina politics in his new book “Anatomy of a Purple State.”
Cooper introduces everything that has made North Carolina the most purple of purple states — from the state constitution and the influence of think tanks to the growing racial diversity of the state and the limitations on the governor's power. By explaining how we came to be in the political situation we are in, Cooper shows us where we might go next.
GUEST:
Dr. Chris Cooper, professor and director of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University. Author of "Anatomy of a Purple State."
