"The Big Sort" is the idea that Americans are sorting themselves into two separate camps--based on politics, education, etc. factors., which can be seen geographically--the red and blue areas on the map.
Supposedly this is a new phenomenon. If so, I wonder why it started? It's easy enough to see why the sorting might continue, if people make decisions on where to live, where to buy, depending on economics and the importance of schools, etc. But why would it start?
It struck me yesterday that I should look at myself--why did I buy in Reston, in an area where today about 90 percent of my neighbors vote Democratic (per a NYTimes interactive feature)? The answer is relatively simple. When I decided to buy in the suburbs in late 1975 I focused on Reston. Why? Because Robert Simon, who initiated the project, sold it as an equal opportunity town back in 1964-5. That was when I first became aware of it, as I was stationed at Ft. Belvoir. I even visited during an early open house on a weekend.
Simon was in advance of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, LBJ/s final achievement, which mandated equal opportunity. I can't believe EEO was a big factor in decisions by many, but it might have been just enough for some to start the snowball rolling down the hill.
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