Radio 4

American corporate power is heading south, with Texas now home to the headquarters of more major companies than any other state, beating out both California and New York - what could this mean for the politics of a vast and restless nation? Americans are a restless bunch - they are always on the move and the population of the country has gradually shifted west and south over recent decades as people look for new jobs and new opportunities. Now big businesses are mirroring this long migration trend, drawn by low taxes, light-touch regulation and government-funded incentives that make doing business in the conservative states of the Sun Belt seem as attractive as the weather. At the same time, a number of governors and mayors in Democratic Party-dominated coastal states have been elected on pledges to increase taxes on the rich, in order to fund social services for those less well-off. These competing economic visions are squaring off in a country that's become increasingly politically polarised - and in terms of money and population, it seems that the red Republican states are beating out the blue Democratic enclaves. But as people move from the blue states to the red states, are they bringing their liberal ideals with them, turning once-solidly Republican areas into "purple" electoral battlegrounds? Presenter and producer: Mike Wendling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman