How will America be in 2050

[Adam Griffin]

I can't remember if I've already posted in here or not, but I will give my thoughts on what will happen.

My predictions are based on the assumption that a reverse polarization of the political parties does not happen; i.e.: Republicans voting Democratic and Democrats voting Republican. The main determinant in the future will revolve around what happens with foreign immigration. Our main source of immigration will be from Mexico/Latin America. Immigrants tend to support the Democratic Party over the Republican Party, and since projections cite the hispanic population to be anywhere from 35-50% by 2050, there is a good chance that the Democratic Party will strengthen. Here is my breakdown for each region:

Northeast: The Northeast will continue to be a strong, Democratic base as vast, urban areas have always tended to be in this case. Overtime, however, the political platform in the Northeast will revolve solely around economic issues rather than social issues.

Southeast: The Southeast will no longer be viewed as one entity politically. Hispanic immigration is already strengthening today in the States of Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, and will continue to grow over the next 50 years. Combine this with rapid urban growth in these states, and over time these states will eventually lean Democratic over social issues. However, states such as N. & S. Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia will vote Democratic based on economic issues. The "West" Southeast, consisting of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri, will not incur rapid, drastic demographic nor economic changes, leaving them in the Republican camp.

Midwest: The "North" Midwest will strengthen its Democratic base because of economic issues relating to manufacturing. Social issues will not affect the outcome here, as socially the states are probably as Democratic as they will ever be. The rest of the Midwest, including states like Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, N. & S. Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, will strengthen and ultimately become reliable Republican states.

The West: Texas has already incurred massive immigration, and for some reason in Texas, the hispanic population does not vote as Democratic as the rest of the hispanics throughout the U.S. currently. This I do not see changing, and Texas will remain Republican. However, the Southwest and Pacific Northwest will become solidly Democratic socially and economically. The "Inner West" states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho, will experience no real shift in political change.

The map will change according to the amount of foreign immigration that exists in the areas of the next 50 years. More immigration = more liberalism. Less immigration = more conservatism. This is not based on my optimism as a Democrat either; I just foresee our nation taking a vast turn for the left, starting in 10-15 years. However, sometime after 2050, we could see an opposite shift due to the amount of immigration slowing down and the majority of the now native population becoming more conservative in the social and economic departments.