The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono.
- Virtual attendance: Zoom connection information will be added shortly
Speaker: Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College
What happens when facts aren’t enough? In many rural communities, sustainability efforts face not just logistical or economic hurdles, but a deeper crisis of legitimacy—one rooted in longstanding mistrust of outside experts and institutions. This talk explores how knowledge itself becomes contested terrain, where technical expertise is often viewed as disconnected from lived experience and political power. Understanding rural resistance requires grappling with how people make sense of the past, locate blame, and defend the integrity of their communities.
Nicholas F. Jacobs is the Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government at Colby College and the founding director of the Colby Public Policy Lab. His research focuses on rural politics, federalism, and public trust in government, with a particular interest in how people interpret policy through place-based narratives and lived experience. He is co-author of The Rural Voter and has advised policymakers at the local and national level. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and other major outlets.