Even in conservative North Dakota, some socialist institutions thrive

I’m a social work professor who studies how people manage their money and their well-being. From both my research and informal conversations, I’ve learned that as much as Americans like to think we are, or should try to be, independent, we actually rely on one another and the government a great deal. I call this arrangement “interdependence.” And even in a conservative state like North Dakota, where I live, socialist, or interdependent, arrangements are seen as pillars of the community. It’s where helping each other gets a little more formal structure. Above: This advertisement for North Dakota’s Farmers Co-op illustrates the long history of farmers working together to source oil and gas and sell their crops.