Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, addresses issues in gubernatorial and local races in the 2018 midterms, including the challenges of job growth, new technologies, and state preemption of local decision-making. Liu also addresses the urban-rural divide, which she says is “primarily a political and cultural one … being fanned by President Trump and his administration.” For more analysis on the 2018 midterm elections, visit www.brookings.edu/2018midterms.  Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.