A political scientist tries to understand her state's rural residents

Political scientist Katherine J. Cramer decided to explore the political divide in her home state of Wisconsin by talking to people at gas stations, coffee shops, and churches in small towns across the state. She learned that rural residents were deeply suspicious of the university and the government and what they perceived as urban elites responsible for the economic and social woes of their communities. Her 2016 book is titled The Politics of Resent­ment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker. Cramer teaches at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

You titled your book about rural consciousness The Politics of Resentment. Why is resentment the right word rather than, say, anger or fear?

I think anger and fear are part of it, but resentment captures the feeling these people have of not getting their fair share and of being ignored and disrespected. It reflects the slow-burning sense of always being disadvantaged and one step behind.