The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Yankee in Kevin Williamson’s Court | Interview: Colin Woodard
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Dec 8, 2025 
Colin Woodard, a journalist and author known for his cultural and regional histories of North America, joins Kevin Williamson to delve into America’s complex cultural divides. They explore how unique regional identities shape political affiliations, tracing these influences back to colonial roots. Woodard discusses Texas’s varied cultural zones, the impact of the Scots-Irish in Appalachia, and the role of civic institutions in assimilating immigrants. The conversation highlights the challenges of creating a unifying national narrative amidst rising ethno-nationalism.
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Multiple Americas Shaped By Colonial Projects
- Colin Woodard argues North America contains multiple enduring regional cultures rooted in distinct colonial projects.
- These cultural “nations” transmit institutions and assumptions across generations via schools, churches, and families.
Culture Travels Through Institutions
- Woodard explains cultural transmission occurs through institutions rather than genetics.
- He shows Puritan New England encoded trust in government and communal institutions that persist today.
Two Parties Mask Regional Fault Lines
- The U.S. two-party system forces large, diverse coalitions that mask deep regional cleavages.
- Regional cultural divides explain consistent geographic voting patterns across a century despite party reversals.
