Book Talk: “The Cities on the Hill” by Thomas Ogorzalek
By Doruntina Zeneli
On Friday, March 22, Thomas Ogorzalek, Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University spoke about the divide between urban and rural America and how racial conflict shaped the current political landscape of our country. He illustrated that the divide between these areas have originated in cities themselves in his new book, The Cities on the Hill: How Urban Institutions Transformed National Politics. He focused on how city leaders transformed their political parties and interests on the national level. Current partisan politics in America can be attributed to the 1930s when city leaders became unified in national politics and supportive of civil rights. These changes paved the path for what is known as modern liberalism today. Ogorzalek goes on to explain that during the 20th century, American politics were influenced by race and local institutions served as the main driver of what kept Americans apart.