The Case for Rural America

Rural America is at a crossroads: either it will manage to sustain itself long-term, or—as current trends suggest—it will continue to disappear through depopulation and urbanization. There have been calls for economic redevelopment, but even with these proposals, J. Tom Mueller argues that policymakers, politicians, and academics rarely make a clear case for why rural America matters and is worth saving in the first place. In this provocative book, Mueller meets these issues head-on by presenting a critique of conventional economic development efforts while also articulating why rural America is worthy of preservation. The Case for Rural America outlines the actions necessary to save our rural places and the people who live there. By suggesting approaches that would benefit urban populations as well as rural—such as establishing a universal basic income and implementing single-payer healthcare—Mueller offers a nuanced understanding of the complex needs of rural America while providing solutions that would benefit us all.

• | Author: J. Tom Mueller
• | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• | Publication Date: Oct 21, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781469691527
• | ISBN-10: 1469691523