Specters of sectors: how place-linked identity influences the politics of economic transition

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to answer one central question: why do so many Americans in the parts of the country that would economically benefit most from jobs in newer industries, such as green energy, resist retraining and local investment in those very jobs? To answer this question, I develop a theoretical framework that argues that the decline of hegemonic sectors (i.e. sectors that have historically employed substantial proportions of the local workforce of a community), specifically in the manufacturing, mining, and farming sectors, informs people’s political behavior. This process is facilitated by the development of an identity, which I call place-linked identity, among the residents of the communities that experience this industry death. This connection between industry death and identity holds across generations, and all residents of the community, not just employees of affected industries, have it. This is due to the development of institutions, such as museums, memorializing the fallen industries. Because of this strong, lasting, and widespread place-linked identity, training for new jobs and transforming the local economy, even if it makes strict economic sense, comes at a cost: a potential loss or shift in identity. I test this theory empirically. First, I use time series data over 53 years to determine which communities are actually home to hegemonic sectors. I then map the existence of museums across the country and use text analysis to determine which museums are related to local industries. Finally, I use survey experimental data to test whether people living in places with hegemonic sectors and industry-related museums, and who have strong place-linked identities, are indeed more resistant to job retraining. The results are mixed. While I generally find the opposite result of expected - thosewith strong place-linked identity are on average more willing to retrain, I find evidence that those who are aware of the history of the local economy and related institutions are more likely to behave as my theory predicts. This highlights the need for better ways of measuring how people think, what they know, and how their local community shapes their politics.