HILLSBORO, Ohio — The geographic remoteness of the homes, farms and businesses of millions of rural Americans leaves them underrepresented in power centers such as state capitals and Washington and, too often, victims of stereotypical narratives in the media. That might sound wrong to anyone narrowly focused on the design of the electoral college and other aspects of our federal system, but it’s simply an obvious reality to those forced to watch from afar as one major public-policy decision after another gets made in urban locales. One person who recognizes this disparity is Mike Gecan, senior organizer at Metro Industrial Areas Foundation based in Chicago. In something of a unique social experiment, Gecan is attempting to address obstacles faced by populations who are disadvantaged by residing in far-off areas of the map.

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