The American Conservative
•74% Informative
America’s western urban civilization is an undertold success story, authors say.
They say the West has outperformed most other U.S. metros over the last several decades in attracting people and businesses.
Authors: A unique mix of historical forces has shaped the cities of the West, despite the many differences among them.
Writers: West's dramatic scenery and outdoor recreation opportunities are strong draws.
Peter Bergen: West's income edge reflects educational attainment levels and rapid growth in high value-added industries.
He says growth-friendly land-use policies have allowed rapid housing development in most of the region’s cities.
Bergen says the West's economic model is due in part to their distinctive economic model, arising from a history very different from that of the East.
For almost 300 years, aridity and hostile peoples largely stopped Imperial Spain from colonizing what became the American West outside a handful of tiny settlements.
Major Stephen Long, sent by James Monroe to explore the Rocky Mountains, coined the term “Great American Desert,” which remained on American maps for decades.
The turning point came with passage of the Reclamation Act of 1902, committing the federal government to western dam-building and irrigation.
VR Score
88
Informative language
95
Neutral language
17
Article tone
formal
Language
English
Language complexity
67
Offensive language
not offensive
Hate speech
not hateful
Attention-grabbing headline
not detected
Known propaganda techniques
not detected
Time-value
long-living
External references
2
Source diversity
2