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Anatomy of a Purple State: A North Carolina Politics Primer
North Carolina represents a perfect distillation of the promise and peril of modern American hyperpartisanship, gerrymandering, dissatisfaction with the two-party system, the rural/urban divide—these issues are all brought into sharp relief in the Tar Heel State. For that reason, North Carolina politics and government are increasingly of interest not just to North Carolina citizens but to journalists, political observers, and people across the country. Political scientist Christopher A. Cooper, to whom the national media go to when they need a quote about North Carolina politics, offers a primer made for all people, no matter their political leanings. Readers will be introduced to everything that has made North Carolina the most purple of purple states—from the state constitution and the influence of think tanks to the growing racial diversity of the state and the limitations on the governor's power. By explaining how we came to be in the political situation we are in, Cooper shows us where we might go next. And, as many have said, "As North Carolina goes, so goes the nation."
216 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 28, 2026
Anatomy of a Purple State wonderfully concise examination of the politics and government of North Carolina as they stand today. Those wishing to learn more about my state ahead of our U.S. Senate race this fall, one bound to attract national attention, will do well to read this book as well as Rob Christensen's The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. I especially appreciated the amount of time Cooper (the author, not our former governor) spent on discussing the structure of state government and how that impacts public policy. He also discusses solutions to some of the issues in state government, such as giving the governor a more powerful veto to help with the balance of power, professionalizing the North Carolina General Assembly by giving them raises and more staff, and implementing smart redistricting reform. This book will get anyone thinking more critically about state government, which is critically important seeing as how a large deal of the policy that impact our daily lives is made at the state level.
January 1, 2025
Me reading about NC politics in 2024: damn I really wish my political science degree didn’t make me understand this as well as I do
May 24, 2025
Slogged through this, I do like how it was written and I do feel like I learned but I can’t stand politics and I hated learning these things! Unfortunately!
March 16, 2025
Good book on North Carolina's current politics, its history, and how we ended up as a purple state. I came to read the book in a curious way. I got a call from a lawyer I'd worked with 40 years ago in Atlanta. He read the book and gave me a call.
My mentions by the author relate to my time in the legislature when I consistently fought to find a better and less partisan way of doing redistricting. In the distant past, it was the Democrats who gerrymandered the state to keep Republicans at bay. Now, it is the Republicans. It is has become an art form, and allowed my former colleagues to grab three more congressional seats by redrawing the lines after Republicans took control of the NC Supreme Court.
The author knows his subject. He's a professor at Western Carolina University and very often quoted on all things related to politics in North Carolina.
My mentions by the author relate to my time in the legislature when I consistently fought to find a better and less partisan way of doing redistricting. In the distant past, it was the Democrats who gerrymandered the state to keep Republicans at bay. Now, it is the Republicans. It is has become an art form, and allowed my former colleagues to grab three more congressional seats by redrawing the lines after Republicans took control of the NC Supreme Court.
The author knows his subject. He's a professor at Western Carolina University and very often quoted on all things related to politics in North Carolina.
July 7, 2026
The first part of this book is super helpful and informative. The rest of it is as well... however, if you know a lot about North Carolina politics, it can seem like the author is stating the obvious. Since not everyone knows a lot about NC politics, though, this is an informative read to show the rest of the US what life is like in a purple state and when all political results are literally the end of the world for the losing side.
July 17, 2025
I really dread reading anything about the current political scene now as our descent into Idiocracy has made me wonder if I should start planning for a safe bunker in the mountains soon. But this book about the dynamics and intricacies of the "purple" state I live in was thoroughly enjoyable to read and didn't make me want to jump out a window which is a win these days. Professor Cooper just explains the system how it is, how it used to be, and at the end there's a chapter on improvements that could (but probably won't) be made. It's very informative and I think does great justice to how diverse this state is in population and geography and why it contributes to the purple-ness of North Carolina.
July 14, 2026
Quite enlightening and frequently entertaining.
Chris Cooper is something of a fixture in North Carolina and even national media, with his excellent insights into political news. But he’s just as informative about the bigger picture, including North Carolina history, as he is about the latest political developments.
The core thesis of Anatomy of a Purple State is that the same national trends that divide the United States as a whole operate in North Carolina, amplified by the fact that the state is so closely divided between red voters and blue voters—in short, purple. If the state had fair districts, we would have seven Republican congressional districts and seven Democratic districts—as we did for a short time after a state Supreme Court ruling in 2022, which was subsequently overturned after the composition of the court changed in the next election. In any event, Cooper argues that North Carolina politics and government are shaped by three trends: the nationalization of politics, the increasing polarization of politics, and the very competitiveness of elections with a closely-divided electorate.
Among the topics Cooper covers are the impact of the distinct political regions of this geographically diverse state, the historical impact of being a former Confederate state, the impact of the rules about unaffiliated (a.k.a. independent) voters, and the power of the NC legislature (General Assembly) and weakness of the governor.
There were quite a few things I had not realized, possibly because I am a relative newcomer to the state, but I gather I’m not alone in my ignorance. For example, I hadn’t realized just how the NC Constitution, aided and abetted by the legislature, has rendered our governor one of the weakest in the entire country—and weaker by the year, as his power of appointment is whittled away. For example, North Carolina was the last state—by several decades!—to grant the governor veto power, but while in most states the legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds vote, in NC, the threshold is only three-fifths.
But I wouldn’t get too excited about the power of the legislators, whose annual salary is a stingy $13,951, an income that hasn’t risen since 1994! If you don’t live in this state, you may not realize just how far the state capital is from the edges of the state, but there’s really no way that someone from one of the far corners of the state can easily commute to Raleigh, so if you don’t near at the center of the state, to afford to serve in the General Assembly you pretty much have to have hospitable (and patient) friends or relatives that live near the capital, have a spouse with a very-well-paying job, a business that someone else can run, or be independently wealthy. Also, probably male, or with no or grown children. Fun fact: “each hour farther away from the capital equates to about a 7-percentage-point reductions in the likelihood that a woman will run for office.” North Carolina ranks 34th among the states in the percentage of women in its legislature. Not just annoying from a woman’s point of view, but also, turns out, that “women legislators sponsor more bills, pass more laws, and send their districts more money,” so everyone suffers. Cooper also argues that all legislators lack all kinds of resources to do their jobs, which makes them unduly dependent on lobbyists. Definitely not good.
The book is slim but full of important information. It’s one of those books that I suspect I’ll consult frequently in the future.
Chris Cooper is something of a fixture in North Carolina and even national media, with his excellent insights into political news. But he’s just as informative about the bigger picture, including North Carolina history, as he is about the latest political developments.
The core thesis of Anatomy of a Purple State is that the same national trends that divide the United States as a whole operate in North Carolina, amplified by the fact that the state is so closely divided between red voters and blue voters—in short, purple. If the state had fair districts, we would have seven Republican congressional districts and seven Democratic districts—as we did for a short time after a state Supreme Court ruling in 2022, which was subsequently overturned after the composition of the court changed in the next election. In any event, Cooper argues that North Carolina politics and government are shaped by three trends: the nationalization of politics, the increasing polarization of politics, and the very competitiveness of elections with a closely-divided electorate.
Among the topics Cooper covers are the impact of the distinct political regions of this geographically diverse state, the historical impact of being a former Confederate state, the impact of the rules about unaffiliated (a.k.a. independent) voters, and the power of the NC legislature (General Assembly) and weakness of the governor.
There were quite a few things I had not realized, possibly because I am a relative newcomer to the state, but I gather I’m not alone in my ignorance. For example, I hadn’t realized just how the NC Constitution, aided and abetted by the legislature, has rendered our governor one of the weakest in the entire country—and weaker by the year, as his power of appointment is whittled away. For example, North Carolina was the last state—by several decades!—to grant the governor veto power, but while in most states the legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds vote, in NC, the threshold is only three-fifths.
But I wouldn’t get too excited about the power of the legislators, whose annual salary is a stingy $13,951, an income that hasn’t risen since 1994! If you don’t live in this state, you may not realize just how far the state capital is from the edges of the state, but there’s really no way that someone from one of the far corners of the state can easily commute to Raleigh, so if you don’t near at the center of the state, to afford to serve in the General Assembly you pretty much have to have hospitable (and patient) friends or relatives that live near the capital, have a spouse with a very-well-paying job, a business that someone else can run, or be independently wealthy. Also, probably male, or with no or grown children. Fun fact: “each hour farther away from the capital equates to about a 7-percentage-point reductions in the likelihood that a woman will run for office.” North Carolina ranks 34th among the states in the percentage of women in its legislature. Not just annoying from a woman’s point of view, but also, turns out, that “women legislators sponsor more bills, pass more laws, and send their districts more money,” so everyone suffers. Cooper also argues that all legislators lack all kinds of resources to do their jobs, which makes them unduly dependent on lobbyists. Definitely not good.
The book is slim but full of important information. It’s one of those books that I suspect I’ll consult frequently in the future.
June 20, 2024
So, I was excited to read this book; I am a native North Carolinian, and I have always been politically active (my first big interview was with Jim Hunt in 1977 for my high school newspaper). My husband and I have traveled extensively and lived in Finland, Washington state and Chicago for his job, so we have been fortunate to experience many different cultures and political views. We both were moderate Republicans in our younger days (I was an anomaly in 1970s Chapel Hill, where I went to college), but as with many moderates, we got disgusted with the direction the party was taking, but also did not like the extremely progressive leanings of the Democratic party. So we have been happily unaffiliated -- the correct North Carolina political designation, although I prefer the name "Independent" -- for years, although I freely admit to voting for Democrats 95% of the time.
Mr. Cooper does an admirable job describing the political history in our state. He has a fascinating chapter on the rise of the unaffiliated voting bloc in our state. I did not realize that in 2017, the number of N.C. voters who registered as unaffiliated surpassed the number who were registered as Republicans, and by 2022, the same statistic was true for unaffiliated voters over Democratic voters. Mr. Cooper points out that this is especially troubling for traditional party members and leaders, because the large numbers of young voters registering as unaffiliated will make it more difficult to recruit young candidates, party workers and officials. I found it especially interesting i that North Carolina is second only to Texas in the number of rural voters, and this is the biggest threat I see to informed voting, as many of those rural voters do not have access to the never-ending flood of news and information -- whether it is real or "fake," and they are more likely to vote along party lines without having sufficient knowledge to choose a candidate based on who is the best choice. This is no more evident than looking at the current Republican choice for governor, whose views are the total antithesis of common sense and integrity (in my opinion).
The fact that North Carolina has continued to elect a Democrat for governor in recent years, while favoring Republicans in other state races, and barely voting Republican in recent presidential elections, tells me that voters are still leaning more conservatively in general. Gerrymandering, lack of control in the General Assembly, and the attempt to strip the governor of power all make our status as a "purple" state a question mark for the future. Information is power, and getting the facts to all voters -- rural and urban -- is imperative.
I took away one star because the book does read like a textbook, and I think the reader needs to be very interested in politics and history to appreciate it. Obviously, I am in that category, and I enjoyed the book.
Mr. Cooper does an admirable job describing the political history in our state. He has a fascinating chapter on the rise of the unaffiliated voting bloc in our state. I did not realize that in 2017, the number of N.C. voters who registered as unaffiliated surpassed the number who were registered as Republicans, and by 2022, the same statistic was true for unaffiliated voters over Democratic voters. Mr. Cooper points out that this is especially troubling for traditional party members and leaders, because the large numbers of young voters registering as unaffiliated will make it more difficult to recruit young candidates, party workers and officials. I found it especially interesting i that North Carolina is second only to Texas in the number of rural voters, and this is the biggest threat I see to informed voting, as many of those rural voters do not have access to the never-ending flood of news and information -- whether it is real or "fake," and they are more likely to vote along party lines without having sufficient knowledge to choose a candidate based on who is the best choice. This is no more evident than looking at the current Republican choice for governor, whose views are the total antithesis of common sense and integrity (in my opinion).
The fact that North Carolina has continued to elect a Democrat for governor in recent years, while favoring Republicans in other state races, and barely voting Republican in recent presidential elections, tells me that voters are still leaning more conservatively in general. Gerrymandering, lack of control in the General Assembly, and the attempt to strip the governor of power all make our status as a "purple" state a question mark for the future. Information is power, and getting the facts to all voters -- rural and urban -- is imperative.
I took away one star because the book does read like a textbook, and I think the reader needs to be very interested in politics and history to appreciate it. Obviously, I am in that category, and I enjoyed the book.
October 4, 2024
NC is a big swing state in the 2024 election and it is a New South State in the cities and still staunchly Red in many of the smaller towns. Christopher Cooper's new book, Anatomy Of a Purple State gives the reader a deeper understanding of the political history of NC and where we are trending for the future. I"m a political junky and so I enjoyed this book about my adopted state and its politics. One point off for it reading a bit dry but all in all, this is a valuable book in this election year.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2025
Main Takeaways:
- NC is becoming increasingly more polarized , nationalized , and purple in its makeup
- The governor has very little power due to many factors including not having the line-item veto, yet the public perceives the position as having much power
- The legislature has most of the power in NC but is not professional enough to fit the level of influence and power NC has on the national level
- NC being in the south has a turbulent history with race and sex and is still coming to terms with moving forward in a positive way. The literacy test is still in the constitution
- The salary of NC State legislators is 13k. Most Carolinians are against a pay raise, but also most Carolinians assume the salary I’d north of 100k. North Carolina does not have a professional enough legislature for the type of state it is
- The legislature has more power over local government in NC than other “Home-Rule” states
- Redistricting is a very polarizing issue in the state and is currently in the hands of the legislature. Many think this responsibility should be passed to an independent commission
- NC has three main areas, Western North Carolina, Piedmont area, and Eastern NC.
- NC is becoming increasingly more polarized , nationalized , and purple in its makeup
- The governor has very little power due to many factors including not having the line-item veto, yet the public perceives the position as having much power
- The legislature has most of the power in NC but is not professional enough to fit the level of influence and power NC has on the national level
- NC being in the south has a turbulent history with race and sex and is still coming to terms with moving forward in a positive way. The literacy test is still in the constitution
- The salary of NC State legislators is 13k. Most Carolinians are against a pay raise, but also most Carolinians assume the salary I’d north of 100k. North Carolina does not have a professional enough legislature for the type of state it is
- The legislature has more power over local government in NC than other “Home-Rule” states
- Redistricting is a very polarizing issue in the state and is currently in the hands of the legislature. Many think this responsibility should be passed to an independent commission
- NC has three main areas, Western North Carolina, Piedmont area, and Eastern NC.
August 29, 2025
This book is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the current political landscape of North Carolina, and how it has evolved over the decades. Cooper provides an array of statistics and charts to show the political tensions that color the state a deep shade of purple. He also lists additional resources — books, websites, podcasts, etc. - for those who want to learn more.
November 10, 2024
If you're interested in politics, and especially if you live in NC, this is a must-read. It's concise and well-organized. His conclusions are an essential guide for anyone who wants to improve the quality of our legislative process and impact.
December 22, 2024
A good book that breaks down the mechanisms behind NC politics, trends, and where we are today. It's very information-dense (lots of graphs, charts, etc.), so isn't the most interesting read in the world, but it excels at exactly what it says: a primer on state politics.
June 18, 2025
Phenomenal book! From Gerrymandering to Local Governments, this book delves into the importance of being active citizens of NC. A lot of statistics, but he pairs it with a lot of real world examples. Really enjoyed learning about #NCPOL.
September 12, 2025
This was a great introduction to the struggles of North Carolina politics and it definitely left me wanting more. I would love to read a part two, including information from the chaotic 2024 elections in North Carolina.
February 16, 2025
Excellent overview of North Carolina politics, especially for someone new to the state.
March 12, 2025
Very interesting, well-researched, and accessibly written. A little repetitive at times: the author felt the need to repeat the book's thesis statement at the beginning and end of every chapter lol.
May 1, 2025
4.5 stars—a great look into NC politics and how local elections are so important. Offers bipartisan solutions to some of NCs biggest governmental problems.
May 15, 2025
A great resource to learn about the politics of NC
December 18, 2025
As advertised, a primer on NC politics, with some fascinating tidbits woven throughout. I would love to read a supplement that ties in the time since publication (2024).
March 24, 2026
This is an excellent overview of my home state, describing what leads to it being a pretty balanced albeit very divided state that is likely to go with either side each election cycle.
June 10, 2026
good overview of some of the more overlooked aspects of state (and local) politics in north carolina, which i do think is a bellwether for national interests
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews