Ideology creates new political map

As inauguration of the next president looms and the new administration takes shape, I’ve been reflecting on the voting pattern that emerged on newsroom electoral maps way back on Election Night, Nov. 7. Three regions of support for Al Gore and Ralph Nader stood out: the Northwest, the upper Midwest, and the Northeast-New England.

Although many cultural and political pundits claim that regional identity and distinctiveness is on the decline in the United States, I believe, in part based on the 2000 election, that political regionalism in particular is on the increase.

This regionalism will likely increase as President-elect George Bush continues appointments to his administration, including Cabinet members and regulatory officials who represent the politically far-right ideological wing of the Republican Party. It will intensify even more when it’s time to nominate Supreme Court justices.

On Election Night, as I looked at the Northeast and New England, with the exception of New Hampshire, falling solidly into the Gore camp, this area seemed to me to be an island largely surrounded by less politically progressive states. I was strongly reminded of a science fiction novel I had read as an undergraduate, “Ecotopia,” by Ernest Callenbach.

First published in 1975, “Ecotopia” is a futuristic tale about the states of Washington, Oregon and the northern third of California seceding from the rest of the United States in an effort to create an environmentally sustainable, socially progressive independent country.

In other words, an ecotopia! I often think about that novel because many of the futuristic technologies described in the book – recycling, magnetic trains, alternative fuels – are now widely in use or will soon be in use as our country grapples with the increasing price of oil and the inevitable shortages of it.

How does this connect to regionalism and the electoral map? The areas that supported Gore and Nader – the Northeast-New England, the Northwest and the upper Midwest – are the same three regions that rank high by most social or quality of life indicators, such as education levels, infant mortality rates, participation in organic farming, zoning enforcement, and lack of pollution (or pollution controls).

For example, states requiring deposits on beverage containers began first in Oregon in 1972, Vermont in 1973, Maine in 1978 and most of the rest of the Northeast (minus New Hampshire) in the late 1970s or early 1980s. This is one, albeit small, but important example of how New England often blazes the trail in socially and environmentally progressive movements.

Certainly Maine and New England are not perfect, unified ecotopias. We can point to examples of progressive legislation that have been narrowly defeated, such as the anti-discrimination issue Question 6 in this past election. But compared to many regions of the country, New England and Maine should be considered quite progressive – an ecotopia of sorts, along with the Northwest corner of the country, and to a lesser extent, the upper Midwest.

Although I certainly do not anticipate a violent civil war as took place in “Ecotopia,” the increasing political, cultural, and social divide between the Northeast and Northwest ecotopias and the rest of the country is evident today and will likely increase in the future as much of the rest of the United States continues along a more socially conservative and less environmentally friendly trajectory.

The election of George W. Bush, I predict, will increase this trend. Given that the new president and vice-president are former oil executives whose environmental records would likely place them in villain roles in the novel “Ecotopia,” an increasing tension between the Northeast and their Southern power base is likely.

Perhaps this regional tension is healthy for a democracy. It may motivate more people to become involved in the local, regional and even national political landscape. On the other hand, it could lead to many individuals simply withdrawing even further from the political scene because of the feeling of powerlessness and alienation from the policy-setters.

I for one hope the former scenario occurs and our progressive New England citizenry begins to exert more influence on the national political climate and trajectory.

While I am perhaps not quite ready for New England to secede from the union, I am certainly not ready for New England to culturally, politically and environmentally resemble Texas.

Michael Steinberg is assistant professor of geography and anthropology at the University of Southern Maine.