In 2040...

America is known for its rolling fields and wide-open frontier, some of which is still exceptionally desolate despite some American states bursting at the seams. In 2040 the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service projects that the top 15 states are going to make up almost two thirds of the American population. Those same states, home to a solid majority of the country, will only hold a third of the US Senate.

The chasm between the densely populated and sparsely populated parts of the country is expected to widen the political divide and heighten partisan fights in both houses of Congress. Geographical differences map onto demographic fault lines, like race, religion, and sexuality, further fueling partisanship in politics. The most populous states are forecasted to be on the coasts, with almost no states from the interior of the country making the top 15.