Rural Policy That Works

When rural communities face big challenges, they often turn to their greatest strength: each other. Across the United States and Canada, small towns are not just exchanging ideas — they’re creating policy that works.

Where is the best place to look for solutions to our common concerns? Many times, there are no clear answers. But there are usually other places similar to yours where people are trying to solve those same challenges in a variety of different ways.

What kind of ways? How about a practical strategy like playing nice with each other?

Collaboration is essential when none of us are big enough to do it all ourselves. And even larger communities do well when they do a bit less competing and do a bit more cooperation.

Rural issues at scale cut across bureaucratic boundaries, so no single agency or organization can respond effectively alone. Some states and regional organizations are creating intentional, structured partnerships across public, private, nonprofit, tribal, university, and regional planning actors

It works when we can break down silos between interests from infrastructure to housing to workforce development, share models and lessons, and amplify rural advocacy at all levels of government.

We are seeing examples out in the real world.

• State rural prosperity task forces are bringing together agency heads, local leaders, and partners to create integrated rural development roadmaps — IEDC is leading a new National Rural Prosperity project to share lessons learned across the US.
• Multi-county regional development organizations are coordinating transportation, housing, and hazard mitigation, among other efforts, giving small towns access to funding and expertise they could not secure on their own.
• University-led rural policy and innovation labs, in partnership with Extension Services, continue to provide innovation, research, facilitation, and land use advice tailored to rural communities — I’ve been very impressed by Nebraska’s Extension efforts.

Rural leaders are moving from being invited late into policy conversations to shaping agendas, mechanisms, and outcomes. Collaboration means building alignment, unlocking resources, and enabling systems-level change from the grassroots.

You can do it. We know you can.

This article is based on a selection from the 2nd installment of my July 2025 series on Policy Exchange at JCShepard.com. Read the full story here: https://jcshepard.com/2025/07/policy-that-works-rural-solutions/.