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Nationhood Labs

AMERICAN NATIONS

Motivf ingests various data on things like gun violence, life expectancy, and voting patterns to create maps that demonstrate wide regional differences for a research lab.

Color-coded map of Colin Woodard’s “American Nations.” Each Nation is uniquely named, such as “Yankeedom” and “Greater Appalachia.” These regions share similar political viewpoints and common cultural and socioeconomic traits.
Colin Woodard, sits thoughtfully in a library surrounded by books and a large map. He is dressed in a dark blazer over a light shirt, looking slightly off-camera with a contemplative expression.

Our Partnership

Colin Woodard, author of American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, explores how past and present demographic and socioeconomic factors influence why the country faces political division, and why it is likely to remain so until one or another political formation articulates a set of ideas that can reestablish a new federal supermajority. Through his analysis, he has identified 13 “cultural nations” in the United States with similar political viewpoints and common cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

Mr. Woodard or Motivf researchers choose interesting topics that highlight unique geographic patterns across the 13 American Nations. Motivf finds and analyzes geographic data to share informative and appealing visualizations, like producing maps with curated color schemes that effectively communicate the message to readers.

Our Work in Context

  • A map of the United States showcasing various "American Nations" on top of state boundaries, in varying shades of green. The map also features the Motivf logo in the bottom left corner.

    The American Nations and the 50 States

    By Collin Woodard on NationhoodLabs.org

    Which regional culture controls each of the Fifty States and to what degree? We parsed 2020 census data to reveal present day state-level power dynamics

    Read More
  • Colorful speech bubbles overlay a grayscale U.S. map, each representing a cultural region like “Far West,” “Midlands,” and “Greater Appalachia,” suggesting diverse viewpoints.

    The Perplexing Geography of Abortion Opinion

    By Collin Woodard on TalkingPointsMemo.com

    Abortion bans are unpopular everywhere. So why are some U.S. regions imposing them anyway? The answer goes back centuries.

    Read More
  • A dark map of the U.S. displays labeled American Nations like “Left Coast” and “Greater Appalachia” with bright dots, each representing a gun death, emphasizing regional patterns. The map also features the Politico logo in the bottom left corner.

    The Surprising Geography of Gun Violence

    By Collin Woodard for Politico

    America’s regions are poles apart when it comes to gun deaths and the cultural and ideological forces that drive them.

    Read More

Spotlight Topic

Climate Change

Climate change is not only a pressing global issue but also one that sparks varied opinions across America. Many still question the scientific consensus on climate change. In collaboration with Colin Woodard, Motivf has developed a map to quantify and visualize how deeply Americans believe in the realities of climate change, illuminating the diverse challenges in fostering nationwide understanding and action on this critical issue. Our map and supporting data highlights areas with lower levels of agreement to effectively combat skepticism and misinformation where it is most prevalent.

Color-coded U.S. map displaying percentages of climate change consensus by American Nations like “Left Coast,” “Deep South,” and “Yankeedom.” Each region is distinctly colored and labeled with a percentage value.

This map provides a striking visual representation of the different levels of public agreement across American regions about the scientific consensus on climate change. It highlights areas like the “Left Coast” (67.3%) and “Greater Polynesia” (67.1%), which show high agreement and are known for progressive political attitudes. Conversely, “New France” exhibits the lowest agreement (46.0%), which may reflect more conservative views. At Motivf, we are committed to understanding and addressing these regional disparities. We tailor our approaches to align with local values and concerns, aiming to foster a well-informed and unified response to climate change. Through this initiative, we hope to catalyze meaningful dialogue and action across communities, enhancing the collective effort to address climate change.

Colin Woodard, sits thoughtfully in a library surrounded by books and a large map. He is dressed in a dark blazer over a light shirt, looking slightly off-camera with a contemplative expression.

Colin Woodard is a New York Times bestselling historian and Polk Award-winning journalist. His work with Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center offers a fascinating look at where America has come from, how we ended up as we are, and how we might shape our future. You can learn more about Mr. Woodard and the American Nations on the Nationhood Lab website.

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