Study finds rural community projects can reduce partisan hostility

A new study finds that working on nonpartisan, local projects together without campaigning can reduce partisan hostility in rural communities.

Six counties in Virginia and Georgia were examined with Community Works chapters. Community Works is a program by the Rural Urban Bridge initiative that organizes volunteers in rural communities to work on nonpolitical projects, such as food drives and road cleanups.

Nicholas Jacobs, a professor of government at Colby College, led the study. He said the group takes a different approach to political organizing.

“What Community Works is trying to do is not necessarily change anybody’s minds on the issues,” said Jacobs. “It’s trying to change how they feel about their neighbors who happen to vote a different way.”

Communities without Community Works programs saw an increase of negative views of the opposing party while counties with the program saw consistently smaller shifts in opinions.

Most residents in Community Works counties had heard of the initiative through the local paper or word of mouth.

Meredith Dean is the national director of Community Works. She said the program focuses on small, practical projects that people can get behind.

“We’re tired of all the national division and nastiness,” said Dean. “We, we are neighbors who’ve raised our kids together, and we just don’t see each other as the devil. So anything that helps people in our community, we’re ready to do it together.”

The study found the impacts of the program were largest among Republicans and Independents, but the program did not change partisan attachments rooted in rural identity.