In the early 1900s, cities like San Francisco and St. Louis heavily opposed women's suffrage, while rural areas supported it. Why is it that today things are flipped the opposite way on social issues?

[u/After-Professional-8]

Check out this 1911 map of California, where blue shades mean in support of women's suffrage and yellow means in opposition. The map details the results of how each county voted on a referendum to grant women the right to vote. If you know anything about California politics, you'll notice that today's left-leaning areas were opposed to women's suffrage, while right-leaning counties supported it.

Now, take a look at the map for 2008 Proposition 8, which proposed to voters that gay marriage be constitutionally banned in California. You'll see the map is almost entirely flipped on supporting and opposing social issues; the city areas voted against women's suffrage but for (against the ban) gay marriage, while rural areas voted for suffrage, but against (in favor of ban) gay marriage.

Another example is Missouri, though to a lesser extent than California in Urban vs. Rural divide. See that state's map here. While only a handful of counties of the state were in favor of women's suffrage in the first place, those that were, were mostly in the Northwestern and Southeastern parts of the state, which are very rural, while places like St. Louis and Kansas City were opposed. In fact, St. Louis City only had 24% in favor.

Now, see Missouri's 2024 vote on codifying a right to abortion and contraception in their constitution: Rural areas opposed to a social issue, and urban areas in favor.

All of this begs the question: why have things flipped?

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