Political impacts on migration and population shifts within the States

The US Census Bureau has recently published this map:

The various comments online about this of course concentrate on the (politically) red and blue State divide. And to a degree, there is a definite correlation – and indeed, direct cause and effect. That was heightened by the impact of the panic over the Beer Flu (COVID-19) in 2020 and 2021. But by no means as clear cut as many tout.

Yes, the Big Three Woke States (California, New York, and Illinois) all lost population. Note this is despite the influx of border jumpers into those States during Uncle Joe’s reign. But at the most causal observation, it is clear that many other Woke “Democratic Party stronghold” States did have population growth. Particularly note Delaware, with 7.1% but even the Great Lake States (MN, WI, and MI), Washington State, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona had increases. Which apparently are mostly additions to their big urban areas. Their rural and frontier areas show little growth.

So why? First off, fewer and fewer women are having children. And, if immigration really is being significantly reduced, that is a further cause of slowing or decline in population. In the past, more Regressive States (and parts of States) saw fewer and fewer children: California, Hawaii, Illinois, and New York all come to mind. But economic opportunity is also a significant factor: work, jobs, and business climate in States like Texas, Florida, and Idaho all draw people from nearby States where regulations, costs, and antipathy to business and industry create problems.

It is not, though, just a matter of politics, of “Conservative” versus “Liberal.” Living conditions, including culture, weather/climate, and opportunity (including investment) also have an impact. Each State has different factors, but when it comes to desirable places to live, work, and especially raise children, this may explain why States like Idaho, Utah, Texas, Florida, and South Carolina far outstrip everyone else.

If these numbers continue, the next decade will see the States becoming more and more disUnited, as the migration (internal and external) and the changing culture, economics, and other conditions have their impact.

A correspondent, Bob Malone, touched on this recently:

“For the first time in modern American history, we are quietly entering an era in which having children is no longer the cultural default. The United States now sits well below replacement-level fertility, and each generation, absent immigration, will be smaller than the one before it. This fact is often discussed in purely economic terms: labor shortages, aging populations, entitlement systems, and GDP projections. But fertility is not merely a statistical problem or an economic variable. It reflects how people live, marry, work, and support one another. It reflects whether young adults believe that building a family is possible, affordable, and socially valued.”

And that, in turn, impacts our daily lives, including our liberties and politics.

Think on these things?

READ MORE