Date of Award
Spring 5-2026
Language
English
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science
Advisor/Committee Chair
Mila Gasco Hernandez
Committee Member
Timothy Weaver
Abstract
Millions of Americans lack adequate broadband access. While there is a lack of clear consensus of the number of households without broadband services between Federal Communications Commission and independent estimates, one factor is clear: rural communities are disproportionately excluded from adequate broadband coverage. The same areas which lack broadband access find themselves in news deserts, or a community that is no longer covered by daily or nondaily newspapers. Moreover, there is a crossover between the communities underserved by broadband services and the communities lacking local news sources. Double deserts, where lack of broadband and local news access meet, are threats to rural areas. This paper suggests that the most practical starting point for policy interventions lies in focusing on the areas of the figure that are farthest removed from polarization: investing in funding for journalists and developing resources to reduce the cost of ISP access for rural residents. An overarching question is, how do double deserts impact civic engagement and polarization? Given modern reliance on technology, more research is needed to better understand the mechanisms which affect rural information economies and political vitality.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Coker, Sophie, "The Double Desert Dichotomy and Its Political Consequences" (2026). Political Science. 52.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_pos/52