Health

The rate of potentially preventable hospital discharges in the Midwestern United States fell from 2005 to 2011 for overall conditions, acute conditions, and chronic conditions.^[111]

Major metropolitan areas

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All cities listed have a population of 250,000 or more.

Cities Rank City State Population (2014 census est.) 1 Chicago IL 2,722,389 2 Indianapolis IN 848,788 3 Columbus OH 835,957 4 Detroit MI 680,250 5 Milwaukee WI 599,642 6 Kansas City MO 470,800 7 Omaha NE 446,599 8 Minneapolis MN 407,207 9 Cleveland OH 389,521 10 Wichita KS 388,413 11 St. Louis MO 317,419 12 Cincinnati OH 298,165 13 St. Paul MN 297,640 14 Toledo OH 281,031 15 Lincoln NE 272,996 16 Fort Wayne IN 260,326

Urban Areas Rank Urban area State(s) Population (2010 census) 1 Chicago IL-IN-WI 8,608,208 2 Detroit MI 3,734,090 3 Minneapolis- St. Paul MN-WI 2,650,890 4 St. Louis MO-IL 2,150,706 5 Cleveland OH 1,780,673 6 Cincinnati OH-KY-IN 1,624,827 7 Kansas City MO-KS 1,519,417 8 Indianapolis IN 1,487,483 9 Milwaukee WI 1,376,476 10 Columbus OH 1,368,035

Metro Areas - CSA Rank Metro area State(s) Population (2012 census est.) 1 Chicago IL-IN-WI 9,899,902 2 Detroit MI 5,311,449 3 Minneapolis- St. Paul MN-WI 3,759,978 4 Cleveland OH 3,497,711 5 St. Louis MO-IL 2,900,605 6 Kansas City MO-KS 2,376,631 7 Columbus OH 2,348,495 8 Indianapolis IN 2,310,360 9 Cincinnati OH-KY-IN 2,188,001 10 Milwaukee WI 2,037,542

Chicago

Indianapolis

Politics

Historical

The Midwest has been an important region in national elections, with highly contested elections in closely divided states often deciding the national result. In 1860–1920, both parties often selected either their president or vice president from the region.^[112]

The first local meeting of the new Republican Party took place here in Ripon, Wisconsin on March 20, 1854

One of the two major political parties in the United States, the Republican Party, originated in the Midwest in the 1850s; Ripon, Wisconsin had the first local meeting while Jackson, Michigan had the state county meeting of the new party. Its membership included many Yankees who had settled the upper Midwest. The party opposed the expansion of slavery and stressed the Protestant ideals of thrift, a hard work ethic, self-reliance, democratic decision making, and religious tolerance.^[113]
In the early 1890s the wheat-growing regions were strongholds of the short-lived Populist movement in the Plains states.^[114]
Starting in the 1890s the middle class urban Progressive movement became influential in the region (as it was in other regions), with Wisconsin a major center. Under the LaFolletes Wisconsin fought against the GOP bosses and for efficiency, modernization, and the use of experts to solve social, economic, and political problems. Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 Progressive Party had the best showing in this region; carrying the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and South Dakota. In 1924, La Follette, Sr.'s 1924 Progressive Party did well in the region, but only carried his home base of Wisconsin.^{[citation needed]}
The Midwest—especially the areas west of Chicago—has always been a stronghold of isolationism, a belief that America should not involve itself in foreign entanglements. This position was largely based on the many German American and Swedish-American communities. Isolationist leaders included the La Follettes, Ohio's Robert A. Taft, and Colonel Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune.^[115][116]