Brian Porto presents Twin States, Different Paths

Brian Porto visits Gibson's to share his book, Twin States, Different Paths, which compares the political cultures of Vermont and New Hampshire, traces their development, and shows how they influence current policy decisions. About the BookA cultural and policy history that explains why two neighboring states developed divergent attitudes toward government and cultureAt first glance, New Hampshire and Vermont seem like mirror images. Separated only by the Connecticut River, the oft-termed “Twin States” share a common history, relatively small populations, and heavily mountainous and forested landscapes dotted with small towns. Yet despite their similarities, they have evolved strikingly different political cultures, with Vermont prizing cooperation and community and New Hampshire celebrating independence and freedom from government. Perhaps nowhere is this divergence in political visions more pronounced than in their respective state mottos: Vermont’s communal "Freedom and Unity" and New Hampshire’s libertarian “Live Free or Die.”Twin States, Different Paths explores these contrasting political cultures. Brian Porto traces these differences back to the land itself: to the geology and geography that shaped early settlement, patterns of land use, and the distinct ways people built their communities. From these origins emerged two enduring civic philosophies—New Hampshire’s devotion to low taxes and limited government, and Vermont’s emphasis on equality and shared responsibility. Bringing historical and cultural analysis together with contemporary case studies, Porto examines how these traditions influence each state’s approach to today’s policy challenges, including affordable housing and public-school funding. The result is a clear, balanced portrait of how deeply rooted attitudes toward freedom, unity, and governance continue to shape public life in both states.Written with scholarly rigor yet in an engaging and accessible style, Twin States, Different Paths fills a notable gap in the study of New England politics. It offers insights not only for scholars and students of political culture, history, and public policy, but also for general readers, policymakers, and residents who wish to understand how two neighbors—so similar in geography and spirit—continue to follow such different paths in defining the role of government and community.About the AuthorBrian L. Porto is a professor emeritus at Vermont Law and Graduate School. He holds a J.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio). He has worked as an attorney in state government and private practice and has taught political science at Macalester College (MN) and Norwich University (VT). His current book, Twin States, Different Paths: The Politics of New Hampshire and Vermont, compares the political cultures of those two states, traces their development, and discusses their influence on current policy decisions. His five previous books cover topics ranging from the American legal system to the governance of college sports, to the use of classical rhetoric in U.S. Supreme Court opinions. When not writing, he walks in the woods of New Hampshire and Vermont as much as possible with his wife, Sherrie Greeley, with whom he lives in Windsor, VT.