document_title: Primary election

question_text: what is the political system that the united states follows in regards to elections

text: Primary election

text: Types[edit]

text: General[edit]

text: Where primary elections are organized by parties, not the administration, two types of primaries can generally be distinguished:

text:
Closed primary.[2] (synonyms: internal primaries, party primaries) In the case of closed primaries, internal primaries, or party primaries, only party members can vote.
Open primary.[3] All voters can take part in an open primary and may cast votes on a ballot of any party. The party may require them to express their support to the party's values and pay a small contribution to the costs of the primary.

text: United States[edit]

text: In the United States, other types can be differentiated:

text:
Closed primary. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party prior to election day. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent, the terms "non-partisan" or "unaffiliated" often replace "independent" when referring to those who are not affiliated with a political party. Eleven states – Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, District of Columbia, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming – have closed primaries.[4][5]
Semi-closed. As in closed primaries, registered party members can vote only in their own party's primary. Semi-closed systems, however, allow unaffiliated voters to participate as well. Depending on the state, independents either make their choice of party primary privately, inside the voting booth, or publicly, by registering with any party on Election Day. Fourteen states – Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio[6], Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and West Virginia – have semi-closed primaries that allow voters to register or change party preference on election day.[5][7]
Open primary. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his or her own party affiliation. Eleven states - Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin - have open primaries.[4] When voters do not register with a party before the primary, it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she wishes to vote in on election day. Because of the open nature of this system, a practice known as raiding may occur. Raiding consists of voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party, effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate. The theory is that opposing party members vote for the weakest candidate of the opposite party in order to give their own party the advantage in the general election. An example of this can be seen in the 1998 Vermont senatorial primary with the nomination of Fred Tuttle as the Republican candidate in the general election[citation needed].
Semi-open. A registered voter need not publicly declare which political party's primary that they will vote in before entering the voting booth. When voters identify themselves to the election officials, they must request a party's specific ballot. [in conflict with sentence number 6?| Only one ballot is cast by each voter. In many states with semi-open primaries, election officials or poll workers from their respective parties record each voter's choice of party and provide access to this information. The primary difference between a semi-open and open primary system is the use of a party-specific ballot. In a semi-open primary, a public declaration in front of the election judges is made and a party-specific ballot given to the voter to cast. Certain states that use the open-primary format may print a single ballot and the voter must choose on the ballot itself which political party's candidates they will select for a contested office.
Blanket primary. A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to candidates from one party.
Nonpartisan blanket primary. A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to candidates from one party, where the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Louisiana has famously operated under this system, which has been nicknamed the "jungle primary." California has used a nonpartisan blanket primary since 2012 after passing Proposition 14 in 2010, and the state of Washington has used a nonpartisan blanket primary since 2008.[8]

text: Primaries in the United States[edit]

text: This section should include only a brief summary of Primary elections in the United States. See Wikipedia:Summary style for information on how to properly incorporate it into this article's main text.  (September 2016)

text: The United States is one of few countries to select candidates through popular vote in a primary election system; most countries rely on party leaders to vote candidates, as was previously the case in the U.S.[9] In modern politics, primary elections have been described as a significant vehicle for taking decision-making from political insiders to the voters, though this is disputed by select political science research.[10]  The selection of candidates for federal, state, and local general elections takes place in primary elections organized by the public administration for the general voting public to participate in for the purpose of nominating the respective parties' official candidates; state voters start the electoral process for governors and legislators through the primary process, as well as for many local officials from city councilors to county commissioners.[11] The candidate who moves from the primary to be successful in the general election takes public office.

text: Non-partisan[edit]

text: Primaries can be used in nonpartisan elections to reduce the set of candidates that go on to the general election (qualifying primary). (In the U.S., many city, county and school board elections are non-partisan.) Generally, if a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary, he or she is automatically elected, without having to run again in the general election. If no candidate receives a majority, twice as many candidates pass the primary as can win in the general election, so a single seat election primary would allow the top two primary candidates to participate in the general election following.

text: Blanket[edit]

text: When a qualifying primary is applied to a partisan election, it becomes what is generally known as a blanket[12] or Louisiana primary: typically, if no candidate wins a majority in the primary, the two candidates receiving the highest pluralities, regardless of party affiliation, go on to a general election that is in effect a run-off.  This often has the effect of eliminating minor parties from the general election, and frequently the general election becomes a single-party election. Unlike a plurality voting system, a run-off system meets the Condorcet loser criterion in that the candidate that ultimately wins would not have been beaten in a two-way race with every one of the other candidates.

text: Because many Washington residents were disappointed over the loss of their blanket primary, which the Washington State Grange helped institute in 1935, the Grange filed Initiative 872 in 2004 to establish a blanket primary for partisan races, thereby allowing voters to once again cross party lines in the primary election. The two candidates with the most votes then advance to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. Supporters claimed it would bring back voter choice; opponents said it would exclude third parties and independents from general election ballots, could result in Democratic or Republican-only races in certain districts, and would in fact reduce voter choice. The initiative was put to a public vote in November 2004 and passed. On July 15, 2005, the initiative was found unconstitutional by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court heard the Grange's appeal of the case in October 2007. In March 2008, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Grange-sponsored Top 2 primary, citing a lack of compelling evidence to overturn the voter-approved initiative.[13]

text: In elections using electoral systems where strategic nomination is a concern, primaries can be very important in preventing "clone" candidates that split their constituency's vote because of their similarities. Primaries allow political parties to select and unite behind one candidate. However, tactical voting is sometimes a concern in non-partisan primaries as members of the opposite party can vote for the weaker candidate in order to face an easier general election.

text: In California, under Proposition 14 (Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act), a voter-approved referendum, in all races except for that for U.S. President and county central committee offices, all candidates running in a primary election regardless of party will appear on a single primary election ballot and voters may vote for any candidate, with the top two vote-getters overall moving on to the general election regardless of party. The effect of this is that it will be possible for two Republicans or two Democrats to compete against each other in a general election if those candidates receive the most primary-election support.[14][15]

text: Partisan[edit]

text: As a result of a federal court decision in Idaho,[16] the 2011 Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 351 implementing a closed primary system.[17]

text: Oregon was the first American state in which a binding primary election was conducted entirely via the internet. The election was held by the Independent Party of Oregon in July, 2010.[18]

text: Presidential primaries[edit]

text: In the United States, Iowa and New Hampshire have drawn attention every four years because they hold the first caucus and primary election, respectively, and often give a candidate the momentum to win their party's nomination.

text: A criticism of the current presidential primary election schedule is that it gives undue weight to the few states with early primaries, as those states often build momentum for leading candidates and rule out trailing candidates long before the rest of the country has even had a chance to weigh in, leaving the last states with virtually no actual input on the process. The counterargument to this criticism, however, is that, by subjecting candidates to the scrutiny of a few early states, the parties can weed out candidates who are unfit for office.

text: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) proposed a new schedule and a new rule set for the 2008 Presidential primary elections. Among the changes: the primary election cycle would start nearly a year earlier than in previous cycles, states from the West and the South would be included in the earlier part of the schedule, and candidates who run in primary elections not held in accordance with the DNC's proposed schedule (as the DNC does not have any direct control over each state's official election schedules) would be penalized by being stripped of delegates won in offending states. The New York Times called the move, "the biggest shift in the way Democrats have nominated their presidential candidates in 30 years."[19]

text: Of note regarding the DNC's proposed 2008 Presidential primary election schedule is that it contrasted with the Republican National Committee's (RNC) rules regarding Presidential primary elections. "No presidential primary, caucus, convention, or other meeting may be held for the purpose of voting for a presidential candidate and/or selecting delegates or alternate delegates to the national convention, prior to the first Tuesday of February in the year in which the national convention is held."[20] In 2020, this date is February 4.

text: Candidates for U.S. President who seek their party's nomination participate in primary elections run by state governments, or caucuses run by the political parties. Unlike an election where the only participation is casting a ballot, a caucus is a gathering or "meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies".[21] Both primaries and caucuses are used in the presidential nomination process, beginning in January or February and culminating in the late summer political party conventions. Candidates may earn convention delegates from each state primary or caucus. Sitting presidents generally do not face serious competition from their party.

text: Primary classifications[edit]

text: While it is clear that the closed/semi-closed/semi-open/open classification commonly used by scholars studying primary systems does not fully explain the highly nuanced differences seen from state to state, still, it is very useful and has real-world implications for the electorate, election officials, and the candidates themselves.

text: As far as the electorate is concerned, the extent of participation allowed to weak partisans and independents depends almost solely on which of the aforementioned categories best describes their state's primary system. Clearly, open and semi-open systems favor this type of voter, since they can choose which primary they vote in on a yearly basis under these models. In closed primary systems, true independents are, for all practical purposes, shut out of the process.

text: This classification further affects the relationship between primary elections and election commissioners and officials. The more open the system, the greater the chance of raiding, or voters voting in the other party's primary in hopes of getting a weaker opponent chosen to run against a strong candidate in the general election. Raiding has proven stressful to the relationships between political parties, who feel cheated by the system, and election officials, who try to make the system run as smoothly as possible.

text: Perhaps the most dramatic effect this classification system has on the primary process is its influence on the candidates themselves. Whether a system is open or closed dictates the way candidates run their campaigns. In a closed system, from the time a candidate qualifies to the day of the primary, he tends to have to cater to partisans, who tend to lean to the more extreme ends of the ideological spectrum. In the general election, under the assumptions of the Median Voter Theorem, the candidate must move more towards the center in hopes of capturing a plurality.

text: Primaries in Europe[edit]

text: In Europe, primaries are not organized by the public administration but by parties themselves. Legislation is mostly silent on primaries. The main reason to this is that the electoral system used to form governments, be it proportional representation or two-round systems, lessens the need for an open primary.

text: Governments are not involved in the process; however, parties may need their cooperation, notably in the case of an open primary, e.g. to obtain the electoral roll, or to cover the territory with a sufficient number of polling stations.

text: Whereas closed primaries are rather common within many European countries, few political parties in Europe already opted for open primaries. Parties generally organise primaries to nominate the party leader (leadership election). The underlying reason for that is that most European countries are parliamentary democracies. National governments are derived from the majority in the Parliament, which means that the head of the government is generally the leader of the winning party. France is one exception to this rule.

text: Closed primaries happen in many European countries, while open primaries have so far only occurred in the socialist and social-democratic parties in Greece and Italy, whereas the France's Socialist Party organised the first open primary in France in October 2011.

text: One of the more recent developments is organizing primaries on the European level. European parties that organized primaries so far were the European Green Party (EGP) and the Party of European Socialists (PES).

text: Italy[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2012)

text: In Italy, the first open primaries took place on 16 October 2005. It led to the designation of Romano Prodi as leader of the Olive Tree coalition, which gathered several center and left-wing parties, for the legislative elections of 9 and 10 April 2006. Several parties of the coalition decided to form a single major Centre-left party:The Democratic Party, which uses the primary elections to choose its candidate to the premiership.

text: France[edit]

text: In France, elections follow a two-round system. In the first round, all candidates who have qualified (for example, by obtaining a minimal number of signatures of support from elected officials) are on the ballot. In practice, each candidate usually represents a political party, large or small. In the second round, held two weeks later, the top two candidates run against each other, with the candidates from losing parties usually endorsing one of the two finalists.

text: The means by which the candidate of an established political party is selected has evolved. Until 2012, none of the six Presidents elected through direct election faced a competitive internal election.

text:
The right didn't hold often primary elections to decide for their national candidates.
In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the UMP, organized an approval "primary" without any opponent. He won by 98% and made his candidacy speech thereafter.
In 2016, The Republicans held, on November 20 and 27, primaries to decide of their Presidential candidate for 2017.
On the left however, the Socialist Party, which helped François Mitterrand gain the Presidency for 14 years, has been plagued by internal divisions since the latter departed from politics. Rather than forming a new party, which is the habit on the right-wing, the party started to elect its nominee internally.
A first try in 1995: Lionel Jospin won the nomination three months before the election. He lost in the run-off to Jacques Chirac. Later in 2002, although the candidacy of then-PM Jospin was undisputed in his party, each of the five left-wing parties of the government he led sent a candidate, paving the way for all five to lose by the Nader effect.
The idea made progress as the 2007 race approached, once the referendum on a European constitution was over. The latter showed strong ideological divisions within the left-wing spectrum, and the Socialist Party itself. This prevented the possibility of a primary spanning the whole left-wing, that would give its support to a presidential candidate. Given that no majority supported either a leader or a split, a registration campaign, enabling membership for only 20 euros, and a closed primary was organized, which Ségolène Royal won. She qualified to the national run-off that she lost to Nicolas Sarkozy.
In 2011, the Socialist Party decided to organise the first ever open primary in France to pick the Socialist party and the Radical Party of the Left nominee for the 2012 presidential election. Inspired by the 2008 U.S. primaries, it was seen as a way to reinvigorate the party. The idea was first proposed by Terra Nova, an independent left-leaning think tank, in a 2008 report.[22] It was also criticized for going against the nature of the regime. The open primary was not state-organized : the party took charge of all the electoral procedures, planning to set up 10,000 voting polls. All citizens on the electoral rolls, members of the Socialist party and the Radical Party of the Left, and members of the parties' youth organisation (MJS and JRG), including minors of 15 to 18 years old, were entitled to vote in exchange for one euro to cover the costs. More than 3 million people participated in this first open primary, which was considered a success, and former party leader François Hollande was designated the Socialist and Radical candidate for the 2012 presidential election.
Other parties organize membership primaries to choose their nominee, such as Europe Ecologie – Les Verts (EE-LV) (2006, 2011, 2016), and the French Communist Party in 2011.
At the local level, membership primaries are the rule for Socialist Party's candidates, but these are usually not competitive. In order to tame potential feud in his party, and prepare the ground for a long campaign, Sarkozy pushed for a closed primary in 2006 to designate the UMP candidate for the 2008 election of the Mayor of Paris. Françoise de Panafieu was elected in a four-way race. However, she did not clinch the mayorship two years later.

text: Russia[edit]

text: The first primaries in the history of Russia were held in May 2000 in St. Petersburg, the local branches of the parties Yabloko and the Union of Right Forces, who before the Gubernatorial election offered citizens to choose a single candidate from the democratic opposition.

text: In 2007, before the parliamentary elections, United Russia held primaries in several regions. However, its results were not sufficiently taken into account when nominating candidates from the party. For example, the congress of United Russia included in the regional party list in the Samara region not the winners of the primaries, but those who did not even participate in the primaries.

text: In the same year 2007, A Just Russia held the primaries to determine the candidate for the Gubernatorial election in Altai Krai. Anyone could vote for them, for which special items were opened. However, in the future, A Just Russia did not begin to pursue the primaries.

text: In 2011, United Russia, together with the All-Russian People's Front, held primaries for the nomination of candidates for the parlmentary election. This vote was called the "All-People's Primaries", but in fact it was not. Candidates for the primaries were selected by special committees. Not even all party members had the right to vote, but only about 200,000 specially selected electors. In addition, the results of voting on the primaries were in most cases ignored. Of the 80 lists of regional groups of candidates for the State Duma, nominated by the congress of United Russia, only 8 lists coincided with the lists of winners of the primaries. All the same, the event played a role in the elimination of candidates: there were cases when the current deputies of the State Duma, having seen that they did not enjoy the support of electors, withdrew their candidacies.

text: In the future, United Russia has sometimes resorted to an "open" model of primaries, which allows voting to all interested voters. In 2014, in the primaries of the "United Russia" before the elections to the Moscow City Duma, any Muscovite could vote, and not only registered electors.

text: In 2016, the primaries for the selection of candidates for parliamentary elections were held by four parties: United Russia, People's Freedom Party[23], the Party of Growth[24] and the Green Alliance[25]. The most massive were the May 22, 2016 primaries of the United Russia, which could vote for every citizen who has an active electoral right. However, the primaries, as well as earlier, were not binding for the leadership of United Russia: a number of winners of the primaries were withdrawn by the leadership without any explanation of reasons, and in 18 single-seat constituencies the party did not nominate any candidates. A striking example was the Nizhny Tagil constituency, where the candidate from the United Russia was approved candidate, who took the 4th place in the primaries.[26] Finally, a number of candidates were included in the party list on the proposal of the party leader Dmitry Medvedev from among those who did not even participate in the primaries.

text: In 2017, the Party of Growth holds the primaries for the nomination of candidates for the presidential election. These are the first presidential primaries in the history of Russia. However, voting for candidates will take place via the Internet within three months, and, according to the spokesman of the party, the results of the primaries will not be mandatory for the nomination of the candidate and the party convention may nominate another candidate who does not even participate in the primaries, or even not nominate candidates and support President Vladimir Putin, if he decides to be re-elected.[27]

text: United Kingdom[edit]

text: For the 2010 general election, the Conservative Party used open primaries to select two candidates for Member of Parliament. Further open primaries were used to select some Conservative candidates for the 2015 general election, and there are hopes other parties may nominate future candidates in this way.[28][29]

text: Socialist parties[edit]

text: In autumn 2011, here was how the twenty-nine socialist, social-democratic, and labour parties member of the Party of European Socialists (PES) had designated their party leader.

text:
Only three parties organised an open primary: France (PS), Greece (ΠΑΣΟΚ), Italy (PD)
Closed primary happened in nine parties: Belgium (sp.a, PS), Cyprus (ΕΔΕΚ), Denmark (SD), France (PS) until 2011, Ireland (LP), Netherlands (PvdA), Portugal (PS), United Kingdom (Labour)The case of UK's Labour party leadership election is specific, as three electoral colleges, each accounting for one third of the votes, participate in this primary election: Labour members of Parliament and of the European Parliament, party members and members of affiliated organisations such as trade unions.
The designation of the party leader was made by the party's congress in the eighteen remaining parties: Austria (SPÖ), Bulgaria (БСП), Czech Republic (ČSSD), Estonia (SDE), Finland (SDP), Germany (SPD), Hungary (MSZP), Latvia (LSDSP), Lithuania (SDPL), Luxembourg (LSAP), Malta (LP), Poland (SLD, UP), Romania (PSD), Slovakia (SMER-SD), Slovenia (SD), Spain (PSOE), Sweden (SAP), United-Kingdom / Northern Ireland (SDLP)

text: European Union[edit]

text: With a view to the European elections, many European political parties consider organising a presidential primary.

text: Indeed, the Lisbon treaty, which entered into force in December 2009, lays down that the outcome of elections to the European Parliament must be taken into account in selecting the President of the Commission; the Commission is in some respects the executive branch of the EU and so its president can be regarded as the EU prime minister. Parties are therefore encouraged to designate their candidates for Commission president ahead of the next election in 2014, in order to allow voters to vote with a full knowledge of the facts. Many movements are now asking for primaries to designate these candidates.

text:
Already in April 2004, a former British conservative MEP, Tom Spencer, advocated for American-style primaries in the European People's Party: "A series of primary elections would be held at two-week intervals in February and March 2009. The primaries would start in the five smallest countries and continue every two weeks until the big five voted in late March. To avoid swamping by the parties from the big countries, one could divide the number of votes cast for each candidate in each country by that country's voting weight in the Council of Ministers. Candidates for the post of president would have to declare by 1 January 2009."[30]
In July 2013 European Green Party (EGP) announced that it would run a first ever European-wide open primary as the preparation for the European elections in 2014.[31] It was to be open to all citizens of the EU over the age of 16 who "supported green values"[32] They elected two transnational candidates who were to be the face of the common campaign of the European green parties united in the EGP, and who also were their candidates for European Commission president.
Following the defeat of the Party of European Socialists during the European elections of June 2009, the PES Congress that took place in Prague in December 2009 made the decision that PES would designate its own candidate before the 2014 European elections. A Campaign for a PES primary[33] was then launched by PES supporters in June 2010, and it managed to convince the PES Council meeting in Warsaw in December 2010 to set up Working Group "Candidate 2014" in charge of proposing a procedure and timetable for a "democratic" and "transparent" designation process "bringing on board all our parties and all levels within the parties".[34]

text: The European think-tank Notre Europe also evokes the idea that European political parties should designate their candidate for Vice-president / High representative of the Union for foreign affairs.[35] This would lead European parties to have "presidential tickets" on the American model.

text: Finally, the European Parliament envisaged to introduce a requirement for internal democracy in the regulation on the statute of European political parties. European parties would therefore have to involve individual members in the major decisions such as designating the presidential candidate.[36]

text: Primaries in Canada[edit]

text: As in Europe, nomination meetings and leadership elections (somewhat similar to primary elections) in Canada are not organized by the public administration but by parties themselves.[37] Political parties participate in federal elections to the House of Commons, in legislative elections in all ten provinces, and in Yukon. (The legislatures and elections in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are non-partisan.)

text: Local candidates[edit]

text: Typically, in the months before an anticipated general election, local riding associations of political parties in each electoral district will schedule and announce a Nomination Meeting (similar to a nominating caucus in the United States). Would-be candidates will then file nomination papers with the association, and usually will devote time to solicit existing party members, and to sign up new party members who will also support them at the nomination meeting. At the meeting, typically each candidate will speak, and then members in attendance will vote. The electoral system most often used is an exhaustive ballot system; if no candidate has over 50% of the votes, the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be dropped and another ballot will be held. Also, other candidates who recognize that they will probably not win may withdraw between ballots, and may "throw their support" to (encourage their own supporters to vote for) another candidate. After the nomination meeting, the candidate and the association will obtain approval from party headquarters, and file the candidate's official nomination papers and necessary fees and deposits with Elections Canada or the provincial/territorial election commissions as appropriate.

text: At times, party headquarters may overturn an association's chosen candidate; for example, if any scandalous information about the candidate comes to light after the nomination. A party headquarters may also "parachute" a prominent candidate into an easy-to-win riding, removing the need to have a nomination meeting. These situations only come up infrequently, as they tend to cause disillusionment among a party's supporters.

text: Party leaders[edit]

text: Canadian political parties also organize their own elections of party leaders. Not only will the party leader run for a seat in their own chosen riding, they will also become Prime Minister (in a federal election) or Premier (in a province or territory) should their party win the most seats. If the party wins the second-most seats, the party leader will become Leader of the Official Opposition; if the party comes third or lower, the leader will still be recognized as the leader of their party, and will be responsible for co-ordinating the activities and affairs of their party's caucus in the legislature.

text: In the past, Canadian political parties chose party leaders through the votes of delegates to a Leadership Convention. Local riding associations would choose delegates, usually in a manner similar to how they would choose a candidate for election. These delegates typically said explicitly which leadership candidate they would support. Those delegates, as well as other delegates (e.g. sitting party members of Parliament or the legislature, or delegates from party-affiliated organizations such as labor unions in the case of the New Democratic Party), would then vote, again using the exhaustive ballot method, until a leader was chosen.

text: Lately, Canada's major political parties have moved to "one member, one vote" systems for their federal leadership elections. A leadership convention is still scheduled, but all party members have a chance to vote for the new leader. Typically, members may vote either in person as a delegate to the convention, online as they watch ballot-by-ballot results on the Internet or on television, or through a mail-in preferential ballot (handled by an "instant runoff" method). This method was used in the 2017 NDP leadership convention which chose Jagmeet Singh as federal party leader. When the Liberal Party chose Justin Trudeau as party leader in its leadership convention in 2013, they used a similar process, but only used online preferential voting for members not present at the convention and did not use mail-in ballots. As well, they scaled all members' votes such that each of the 308 riding associations' votes would be equal, notwithstanding how many or how few members voted in each riding. The Conservative Party of Canada also selected Andrew Scheer in a similar method.

text: Primaries worldwide[edit]

text:
United States presidential primary.
Democratic Party presidential primaries (current: 2016).
Republican Party presidential primaries (current: 2016, recent: 2012).
Canada:
Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, 2013
Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, 2017
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2017
Primary elections in Italy.
Argentine general election, 2011, Argentine legislative election, 2013, Argentine general election, 2015
Chile.
Uruguay, since 1999.
United New Democratic Party (South Korea, 2007).
United Kingdom
Conservative Party parliamentary primaries
Armenia. In an innovation on 2007 November 24 and 25, one political party conducted a non-binding Armenia-wide primary election. The party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, invited the public to vote to advise the party which of two candidates they should formally nominate for President of Armenia in the subsequent official election. What characterized it as a primary instead of a standard opinion poll was that the public knew of the primary in advance, all eligible voters were invited, and the voting was by secret ballot. "Some 68,183 people . . . voted in make-shift tents and mobile ballot boxes . . ."[38]
Colombia In 2006, the Liberal Party and the socialist Democratic Pole hold primary elections, electing Horacio Serpa as liberal candidate and Carlos Gaviria as candidate of the Democratic Pole. For 2010 presidential electiones, four parties held primary elections: The Liberal Party elected former minister Rafael Pardo as candidate, the Democratic Pole elected senator Gustavo Petro, the Conservative Party chose ambassador Noemi Sanin and the Green Party chose former mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus.
Costa Rica, the three main political forces National Liberation Party, Social Christian Unity Party and Citizens' Action Party have all run primary elections several times.
Republic of China (Taiwan): The Democratic Progressive Party selects all its candidates via opinion polls. The candidate with the highest poll rating will be nominated. The KMT selects candidates using a combination of opinion polls (worth 70%) and primary elections (worth 30%).
Russia. The largest party in Russia, United Russia is holding primaries for the candidates to State Duma, a Russian lower-house chamber of the parliament.
In Australia, the Australian Labor Party and the National Party have conducted limited experiments with primary-style pre-selections.[39][40]


document_title: Gastrointestinal hormone

question_text: gastric hormones that control the secretion of enzymes by the pancreas

root

text: Gastrointestinal hormone

text: Types[edit]

text: The gastrointestinal hormones[2] can be divided into three main groups based upon their chemical structure.

tag: p

text:
Gastrin–cholecystokinin family: gastrin and cholecystokinin
Secretin family: secretin, glucagon, vasoactive intestinal peptide and gastric inhibitory peptide
Somatostatin family
Motilin family
Substance P.

tag: ul

text: Ghrelin is a peptide hormone released from the stomach and liver and is often referred to as the "hunger hormone" since high levels of it are found in individuals that are fasting. Ghrelin agonistic treatments can be used to treat illnesses such as anorexia and loss of appetites in cancer patients. Ghrelin treatments for obesity are still under intense scrutiny and no conclusive evidence has been reached. This hormone stimulates growth hormone release. Amylin controls glucose homeostasis and gastric motility

text: Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide possesses an acute influence on food intake through its effects on adipocytes

text: Oxyntomodulin plays a role in controlling acid secretion and satiation

text:
Characteristics of prominent forms of principal gut regulatory peptides[3]:1719

Hormone or peptide
Molecular weight (Da)
Number of amino acids
Main gut localization
Principal physiologic actions

Gastrin family

Cholecystokinin
3918
33 (also 385, 59)
Duodenum and jejunum, Enteric nerves
Stimulates gallbladder contraction and intestinal motility; stimulates secretion of pancreatic enzymes, insulin, glucagon, and pancreatic polypeptides; has a role in indicating satiety; the C-terminal 8 amino acid peptide cholecystokinin (CCK)-8 retains full activity

Little gastrin
2098
17
Both forms of gastrin are found in the gastric antrum and duodenum
Gastrins stimulate the secretion of gastric acid, pepsinogen, intrinsic factor, and secretin; stimulate intestinal mucosal growth; increase gastric and intestinal motility

Big gastrin
3839
34

Secretin-glucagon family

Secretin
3056
27
Duodenum and jejunum
Stimulates pancreatic secretion of HCO3, enzymes and insulin; reduces gastric and duodenal motility, inhibits gastrin release and gastric acid secretion

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)
3326
28
Enteric nerves
Relaxes smooth muscle of gut, blood vessels, and genitourinary system; increases water and electrolyte secretion from pancreas and gut; releases hormones from pancreas, gut, and hypothalamus

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic
4976
42
Duodenum and jejunum
Stimulates insulin release; reduces gastric and intestinal motility; increases fluid and electrolyte secretion from small intestine

tag: table

text:
Brief Description of Some GI Regulatory Peptides[3]:1720

Hormone or peptide
Major tissue locations in the gut
Principal known actions

Bombesin
Throughout the gut and pancreas
Stimulates release of cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin

Calcitonin gene-related peptide
Enteric nerves
Unclear

Chromogranin A
Neuroendocrine cells
Secretory protein

Enkephalins
Stomach, duodenum
Opiate-like actions

Enteroglucagon
Small intestine, pancreas
Inhibits insulin secretion

Galanin
Enteric nerves

Ghrelin
Stomach
Stimulates appetite, increases gastric emptying

Glucagon-like peptide 1
Pancreas, ileum
Increases insulin secretion

Glucagon-like peptide 2
Ileum, colon
Enterocyte-specific growth hormone

Growth factors
Throughout the gut
Cell proliferation and differentiation

Growth hormone-releasing factor
Small intestine
Unclear

Leptin
Stomach
Appetite control

Motilin
Throughout the gut
Increases gastric emptying and small bowel motility

Neuropeptide Y
Enteric nerves
Regulation of intestinal blood flow

Neurotensin
Ileum
Affects gut motility; increases jejunal and ileal fluid secretion

Pancreatic polypeptide
Pancreas
Inhibits pancreatic and bilary secretion

Peptide YY
Colon
Inhibits food intake

Somatostatin
Stomach, pancreas
Inhibits secretion and action of many hormones

Substance P
Enteric nerves
Unclear

Trefoil peptides
Stomach, intestine
Mucosal protection and repair


document_title: Nashville, Tennessee

question_text: what is the sea level of nashville tn

question_tokens: what is the sea level of nashville tn

text: Nashville, Tennessee

text: History[edit]

text: The town of Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Overmountain Men in 1779, near the original Cumberland settlement of Fort Nashborough. It was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location, accessibility as a port on the Cumberland River, a tributary of the Ohio River; and its later status as a major railroad center. By 1800, the city had 345 residents, including 136 African American slaves and 14 free blacks.[10] In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.

text: By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops. The state was occupied by Union troops for the duration of the war. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war; it was also the war's final major military action, which afterward became almost entirely a war of attrition consisting largely of guerrilla raids and small skirmishes, with the Confederate forces in the Deep South almost constantly in retreat.

text: Within a few years after the Civil War, the Nashville chapter of the Ku Klux Klan was founded by Confederate veteran John W. Morton.[11]

text: Meanwhile, the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought new prosperity to Nashville and Davidson County. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, including the Parthenon in Centennial Park, which can still be seen around the downtown area.[12]

text: 20th century[edit]

text: Circa 1950 the state legislature approved a new city charter that provided for the election of city council members from single-member districts, rather than at-large voting. This change was supported because at-large voting diluted the minority population's political power in the city. They could seldom gain a majority of the population to support a candidate of their choice.[citation needed] Apportionment under the single-member districts meant that some districts had black majorities. In 1951, after passage of the new charter, African-American attorneys Z. Alexander Looby and Robert E. Lillard were elected to the city council.[13]

text: The years after World War II were a time of rapid suburbanization as new housing was built outside the city limits. This resulted in a demand for many new schools and other support facilities, which the county found difficult to provide. At the same time, suburbanization led to a declining tax base in the city, although many suburban residents used unique city amenities and services supported only by city taxpayers. After years of discussion, a referendum was held in 1958 on the issue of consolidating city and county government. It failed to gain approval although it was supported by elected leaders of both jurisdictions: County Judge Beverly Briley of Davidson and Mayor Ben West of Nashville.[14]

text: Following the referendum's failure, Nashville annexed some 42 square miles of suburban jurisdictions to expand its tax base. This increased uncertainty among residents, and created resentment among many suburban communities. Under the second charter for metropolitan government, which was approved in 1962, two levels of service provision were proposed: the General Services District and the Urban Services District, to provide for a differential in tax levels. Residents of the Urban Services District had a full range of city services. The areas that made up the General Services District, however, had a lower tax rate until full services were provided.[14] This helped reconcile aspects of services and taxation among the differing jurisdictions within the large metro region.

text: On April 19, 1960, African-American council members Looby's house was bombed by segregationists.[15] Protesters marched to the city hall the next day, and Mayor Ben West said he supported the de-segregation of lunch counters.[16]

text: In 1963, Nashville consolidated its government with Davidson County, forming a metropolitan government. The membership on the Metro Council, the legislative body, was increased from 21 to 40 seats. Of these, five members are elected at-large and 35 are elected from single-member districts, each to serve a term of four years.[14]

text: In 1979, the Ku Klux Klan burnt crosses outside two African-American locations in Nashville, including the Nashville headquarters of the NAACP.[17]

text: Since the 1970s, the city and county have experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of then-Mayor and later-Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen. He made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the downtown Nashville Public Library, the Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium.[citation needed]

text: The Corrections Corporation of America (rebranded as CoreCivic in 2016),[18] one of the largest private corrections company in the United States, was founded in Nashville in 1983.[19] Vanderbilt University was one of its investors prior to the IPO.[20]

text: Nissan Stadium (formerly Adelphia Coliseum and LP Field) was built after the National Football League's (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL team debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and Nissan Stadium opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and finished the season with the Music City Miracle and a close Super Bowl game in which the St. Louis Rams' win was secured in the last play.[citation needed]

text: In 1997, Nashville was awarded a National Hockey League expansion team; this was named the Nashville Predators. Since the 2003–04 season, the Predators have made the playoffs all but three seasons. In 2017, they made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, but ultimately fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4 games to 2, in the best-of-seven series.[citation needed]

text: 21st century[edit]

text: The city bounced back with relative ease from the Great Recession. In March 2012, a Gallup poll ranked Nashville in its top five regions for job growth.[21] A television musical drama called Nashville aired that October.

text: Nashville elected its first female mayor, Megan Barry, on September 25, 2015.[22] As a council member, Barry had previously performed the first same-sex wedding in Nashville on June 26, 2015.[23]

text: In 2013, Nashville was described as "Nowville" and "It City" by GQ, Forbes and The New York Times.[24][25][26] In 2017, Nashville's economy was deemed the third fastest growing in the nation,[27] and also was named the "hottest housing market in the US" by Freddie Mac realtors.[28]

text: On February 10, 2017, an African-American man, Jocques Clemmons, was shot three times by a white police officer, Joshua Lippert.[29] The case led to protests by African-American groups, including Black Lives Matter.[30] It was investigated internally by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and externally by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and it was closed by the United States Attorney's Office in Nashville, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in August 2017.[31]

text: In late August 2017, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood published the Nashville Statement in opposition to LGBT sexuality and same-sex marriage. The statement was drafted in late August 2017, during the annual conference of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.[32] Although the statement is named after Nashville, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood stated that it indeed does not have any direct connections with the city of Nashville. It was denounced by the Mayor of Nashville Megan Barry as "poorly named".[33]

text: In the wake of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, protesters marched for the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials in Nashville, including the Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust and the Sam Davis Statue in the Tennessee State Capitol.[17][34]

text: The Tennessean noted in October 2017 that 2017 was "the bloodiest year for teens and children in more than a decade," many of whom were African Americans who lived in city-run housing projects.[35]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Topography[edit]

text: Nashville lies on the Cumberland River in the northwestern portion of the Nashville Basin. Nashville's elevation ranges from its lowest point, 385 feet (117 m) above sea level at the Cumberland River,[36] to its highest point, 1,163 feet (354 m) above sea level in the Radnor Lake State Natural Area.[37][38]

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 527.9 square miles (1,367 km2), of which 504.0 square miles (1,305 km2) of it is land and 23.9 square miles (62 km2) of it (4.53%) is water.

text: Climate[edit]

text: Nashville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa),[39] with hot, humid summers and generally mild winters.[40][41][42] Monthly averages range from 37.7 °F (3.2 °C) in January to 79.4 °F (26.3 °C) in July, with a diurnal temperature variation of 18.2 to 23.0 °F (10.1 to 12.8 °C).

text: Snowfall occurs during the winter months, but it is usually not heavy. Average annual snowfall is about 6.3 inches (16 cm), falling mostly in January and February and occasionally in March and December.[43] The largest snow event since 2000 was on January 22, 2016, when Nashville received 8 inches (20 cm) of snow in a single storm; the largest overall was 17 inches (43 cm), received on March 17, 1892, during the St. Patrick's Day Snowstorm.[44]

text: Rainfall is typically greater in November and December, and spring, while August to October are the driest months on average. Spring and fall are prone to severe thunderstorms, which occasionally bring tornadoes—with recent major events on April 16, 1998; April 7, 2006; February 5, 2008; April 10, 2009; and May 1–2, 2010. Relative humidity in Nashville averages 83% in the mornings and 60% in the afternoons,[45] which is considered moderate for the Southeastern United States.[46] In recent decades, due to urban development, Nashville has developed an urban heat island (UHI); especially on cool, clear nights, temperatures are up to 10 °F (5.6 °C) warmer in the heart of the city than in rural outlying areas. The Nashville region lies within USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a.[47]

text: Nashville's long springs and autumns combined with a diverse array of trees and grasses can often make it uncomfortable for allergy sufferers.[48] In 2008, Nashville was ranked as the 18th-worst spring allergy city in the U.S. by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.[49]

text: The coldest temperature ever recorded in Nashville was −17 °F (−27 °C) on January 21, 1985, and the highest was 109 °F (43 °C) on June 29, 2012.[50]

text:
[hide]Climate data for Nashville (Nashville Int'l), 1981–2010 normals,[b] extremes 1871−present[c]

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year

Record high °F (°C)
78
(26)
84
(29)
89
(32)
91
(33)
96
(36)
109
(43)
107
(42)
106
(41)
105
(41)
94
(34)
88
(31)
79
(26)
109
(43)

Mean maximum °F (°C)
68.0
(20)
73.0
(22.8)
80.2
(26.8)
85.1
(29.5)
88.7
(31.5)
94.2
(34.6)
97.1
(36.2)
96.5
(35.8)
93.0
(33.9)
85.5
(29.7)
77.7
(25.4)
68.5
(20.3)
98.3
(36.8)

Average high °F (°C)
46.9
(8.3)
51.8
(11)
61.0
(16.1)
70.5
(21.4)
78.2
(25.7)
86.0
(30)
89.3
(31.8)
89.0
(31.7)
82.4
(28)
71.7
(22.1)
60.3
(15.7)
49.5
(9.7)
69.7
(20.9)

Average low °F (°C)
28.4
(−2)
31.6
(−0.2)
39.0
(3.9)
47.5
(8.6)
56.8
(13.8)
65.4
(18.6)
69.5
(20.8)
68.4
(20.2)
60.7
(15.9)
48.9
(9.4)
39.4
(4.1)
31.3
(−0.4)
48.9
(9.4)

Mean minimum °F (°C)
8.8
(−12.9)
13.5
(−10.3)
22.5
(−5.3)
31.2
(−0.4)
42.7
(5.9)
54.3
(12.4)
61.6
(16.4)
59.4
(15.2)
45.4
(7.4)
32.7
(0.4)
23.8
(−4.6)
13.8
(−10.1)
4.7
(−15.2)

Record low °F (°C)
−17
(−27)
−13
(−25)
2
(−17)
23
(−5)
34
(1)
42
(6)
51
(11)
47
(8)
36
(2)
26
(−3)
−1
(−18)
−10
(−23)
−17
(−27)

Average precipitation inches (mm)
3.75
(95.3)
3.94
(100.1)
4.11
(104.4)
4.00
(101.6)
5.50
(139.7)
4.14
(105.2)
3.64
(92.5)
3.17
(80.5)
3.41
(86.6)
3.04
(77.2)
4.31
(109.5)
4.24
(107.7)
47.25
(1,200.1)

Average snowfall inches (cm)
2.6
(6.6)
2.3
(5.8)
0.9
(2.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
trace
0
(0)
0.5
(1.3)
6.3
(16)

Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)
10.3
10.3
10.7
10.8
11.7
10.0
10.2
8.4
7.5
8.0
9.8
11.2
118.9

Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)
2.1
2.3
0.7
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.1
0
1.0
6.2

Average relative humidity (%)
70.4
68.5
64.6
63.2
69.5
70.4
72.8
73.1
73.7
69.4
70.2
71.4
69.8

Mean monthly sunshine hours
139.6
145.2
191.3
231.5
261.8
277.7
279.0
262.1
226.4
216.8
148.1
130.6
2,510.1

Percent possible sunshine
45
48
52
59
60
64
63
63
61
62
48
43
56

Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990),[43][51][52] Weather.com[53]

text: Cityscape[edit]

text: Nashville's downtown area features a diverse assortment of entertainment, dining, cultural and architectural attractions. The Broadway and 2nd Avenue areas feature entertainment venues, night clubs and an assortment of restaurants. North of Broadway lie Nashville's central business district, Legislative Plaza, Capitol Hill and the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall. Cultural and architectural attractions can be found throughout the city.

text: Three major interstate highways (I-40, I-65 and I-24) converge near the core area of downtown, and many regional cities are within a day's driving distance.

text: Nashville's first skyscraper, the Life & Casualty Tower, was completed in 1957 and launched the construction of other high rises in downtown Nashville. After the construction of the AT&T Building (commonly referred to by locals as the "Batman Building") in 1994, the downtown area saw little construction until the mid-2000s. The Pinnacle, a high rise office building, opened in 2010, the first Nashville skyscraper completed in more than 15 years.[54] Ten more skyscrapers have since been constructed or are under construction.

text: Many civic and infrastructure projects are being planned, in progress, or recently completed. A new MTA bus hub was recently completed in downtown Nashville, as was the Music City Star pilot project. Several public parks have been constructed, such as the Public Square. Riverfront Park is scheduled to be extensively updated. The Music City Center opened in May 2013. It is a 1,200,000 square foot (110,000 m2) convention center with 370,000 square feet (34,000 m2) of exhibit space.

text: Neighborhoods[edit]

text:
Antioch
Bellevue
Cane Ridge
Donelson
East Nashville
Germantown
Green Hills
The Gulch
Hermitage
Hillsboro Village
Inglewood
Joelton
Lakewood
Lockeland Springs
Madison
Old Hickory
Pasquo
Tusculum
Whites Creek
West Nashville

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
Historical population

Census
Pop.

%±

1810
1,100

—

1820
3,410

210.0%

1830
5,566

63.2%

1840
6,929

24.5%

1850
10,165

46.7%

1860
16,988

67.1%

1870
25,865

52.3%

1880
43,350

67.6%

1890
76,168

75.7%

1900
80,865

6.2%

1910
110,364

36.5%

1920
118,342

7.2%

1930
153,866

30.0%

1940
167,402

8.8%

1950
174,307

4.1%

1960
170,874

−2.0%

1970
448,003

162.2%

1980
477,811

6.7%

1990
510,784

6.9%

2000
569,891

11.6%

2010
626,681

10.0%

Est. 2015
654,610
[3]
4.5%

Sources:[3][55][56][57]
Notes:[58]

text: The data below is for all of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, including other incorporated cities within the consolidated city-county (such as Belle Meade and Berry Hill). See Nashville-Davidson (balance) for demographic data on Nashville-Davidson County excluding separately incorporated cities.

text: According to the 2009 American Community Survey, there were 628,434 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,204.2 inhabitants per square mile (464.9/km2). There were 282,452 housing units at an average density of 560.4 per square mile (216.4/km2).[59]

text:
[hide]Racial composition
2010[60]
1990[61]
1970[61]

White
61.4%
73.8%
80.1%

—Non-Hispanic
57.4%
73.2%
79.5%[62]

Black or African American
27.7%
24.3%
19.6%

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
9.8%
0.9%
0.6%[62]

Asian
3.0%
1.4%
0.1%

text: At the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the city was 61.4% White (57.4% non-Hispanic white), 27.7% African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2.5% from two or more races. 9.8% of the total population was of Hispanic or Latino origin (they may be of any race).[60] The non-Hispanic White population was 79.5% in 1970.[61]

text: There were 254,651 households and 141,469 families (55.6% of households). Of households with families, 37.2% had married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present. 27.9% of all households had children under the age of 18, and 18.8% had at least one member 65 years of age or older. Of the 44.4% of households that are non-families, 36.2% were individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.16.[63]

text: The age distribution was 22% under 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 33% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 11% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.[64]

text: The median income for a household in the city was $46,141, and the median income for a family was $56,377. Males with a year-round, full-time job had a median income of $41,017 versus $36,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,372. About 13.9% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.[65] Of residents 25 or older, 33.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher.[3]

text: Because of its relatively low cost of living and large job market, Nashville has become a popular city for immigrants.[66] Nashville's foreign-born population more than tripled in size between 1990 and 2000, increasing from 12,662 to 39,596. The city's largest immigrant groups include Mexicans, Kurds,[67] Vietnamese, Laotians, Arabs, and Somalis. There are also smaller communities of Pashtuns from Afghanistan and Pakistan concentrated primarily in Antioch.[68] Nashville has the largest Kurdish community in the United States, numbering approximately 11,000.[69] In 2009, about 60,000 Bhutanese refugees were being admitted to the U.S., and some were expected to resettle in Nashville.[70] During the Iraqi election of 2005, Nashville was one of the few international locations where Iraqi expatriates could vote.[71] The American Jewish community in Nashville dates back over 150 years, and numbered about 8,000 in 2015, plus 2,000 Jewish college students.[72]

text: Metropolitan area[edit]

text: As of 2015[update], Nashville has the largest metropolitan area in the state of Tennessee, spanning 13 counties and an estimated population of 1,830,345.[4] The Nashville metropolitan statistical area encompasses 13 of 41 Middle Tennessee counties: Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson.[73] The 2015 population of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Columbia combined statistical area was estimated at 1,951,644.[9]

text: Economy[edit]

text: As the "home of country music", Nashville has become a major music recording and production center. The Big Four record labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in the Music Row area.[74] Nashville has been the headquarters of guitar company Gibson since 1984. Since the 1960s, Nashville has been the second-largest music production center (after New York) in the United States.[75] As of 2006, Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of $6.4 billion per year and to contribute 19,000 jobs to the Nashville area.[76]

text: In recent times Nashville has been described as a "southern boomtown" by numerous publications,[77][78] with it having the third fastest growing economy in the United States as of 2017.[79] It has been stated by the US Census bureau that Nashville "adds an average of 100 people a day to its net population increase".[80] The Nashville region was also stated to be the "Number One" Metro Area for Professional and Business Service Jobs in America,[81] as well as having the "hottest Housing market in America" as stated by the company Zillow.[82]

text: Although Nashville is renowned as a music recording center and tourist destination, its largest industry is health care. Nashville is home to more than 300 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the world's largest private operator of hospitals.[83][84] As of 2012[update], it is estimated the health care industry contributes US$30 billion per year and 200,000 jobs to the Nashville-area economy.[85]

text: The automotive industry is also becoming increasingly important for the Middle Tennessee region. Nissan North America moved its corporate headquarters in 2006 from Gardena, California (Los Angeles County) to Franklin, southwest of Nashville. Nissan also has its largest North American manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. Largely as a result of the increased development of Nissan and other Japanese economic interests in the region, Japan moved its former New Orleans consulate-general to Nashville's Palmer Plaza.

text: Bridgestone has a strong presence with their North American headquarters located in Nashville, with manufacturing plants and a distribution center in nearby counties.

text: Other major industries in Nashville include insurance, finance, and publishing (especially religious publishing). The city hosts headquarters operations for several Protestant denominations, including the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, and the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

text: Nashville is also known for some of their famously popular Southern confections, including Goo Goo Clusters (which have been made in Nashville since 1912).[86]

text: Fortune 500 companies with offices within Nashville include Bridgestone, Community Health Systems, Dell,[87] Dollar General,Hospital Corporation of America, Nissan North America, WeWork, Philips,[88] Tractor Supply Company, and UBS. Of these, Community Health Systems, Dollar General, Hospital Corporation of America, and Tractor Supply Company are headquartered in the city.

text: In 2013, the city ranked No. 5 on Forbes' list of the Best Places for Business and Careers.[89] In 2015, Forbes put Nashville as the 4th Best City for White Collar Jobs.[90]

text: In 2015, Business Facilities' 11th Annual Rankings report named Nashville the number one city for Economic Growth Potential.[91]

text: Real estate is becoming a major driver for the city's economy. Based on a survey of nearly 1,500 real estate industry professionals conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute, Nashville ranked 7th nationally in terms of attractiveness to real estate investors for 2016.[92] As of October 2015[update], according to city figures, there is more than $2 billion in real estate projects underway or projected to start in 2016. Due to high yields available to investors, Nashville has been attracting a lot of capital from out-of-state. A key factor that has been attributed to the increase in investment is the adjustment to the city's zoning code. Developers can easily include a combination of residential, office, retail and entertainment space into their projects. Additionally, the city has invested heavily into public parks. Centennial Park is undergoing extensive renovations. The change in the zoning code and the investment in public space is consistent with the millennial generation's preference for walkable urban neighborhoods.[93]

text: Top employers[edit]

text: According to the city's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:[94]

text:
#
Employer
# of Employees

1
Vanderbilt University and Medical Center
23,021

2
Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County government and public schools
18,508

3
State of Tennessee
18,200

4
U.S. federal government
12,177

5
Nissan North America
8,500

6
HCA
7,000

7
Saint Thomas Health
6,500

8
Randstad U.S.
3,400

9
Shoney's
3,000

10
Kroger
2,863

text: Culture[edit]

text: Much of the city's cultural life has revolved around its large university community. Particularly significant in this respect were two groups of critics and writers who were associated with Vanderbilt University in the early 20th century: the Fugitives and the Agrarians.

text: Popular destinations include Fort Nashborough and Fort Negley, the former being a reconstruction of the original settlement, the latter being a semi-restored Civil War battle fort; the Tennessee State Museum; and The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The Tennessee State Capitol is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation. The Hermitage, the former home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of the oldest presidential homes open to the public.[95]

text: Dining[edit]

text: Some of the more popular types of local cuisine include hot chicken, hot fish, barbecue, and meat and three. Thanks in part to Nashville's foodie culture, the city was ranked as the 13th "snobbiest" city in America according to Travel + Leisure magazine.[96]

text: Entertainment and performing arts[edit]

text: Nashville has a vibrant music and entertainment scene spanning a variety of genres. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is the major performing arts center of the city. It is the home of the Nashville Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Opera, the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Nashville Ballet. In September 2006, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened as the home of the Nashville Symphony.

text: As the city's name itself is a metonym for the country music industry, many popular tourist attractions involve country music, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Belcourt Theatre, and Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman was home to the Grand Ole Opry until 1974 when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House, 9 miles (14 km) east of downtown. The Opry plays there several times a week, except for an annual winter run at the Ryman.

text: A multitude of music clubs and honky-tonk bars can be found in downtown Nashville, particularly the area encompassing Lower Broadway, Second Avenue, and Printer's Alley, which is often referred to as "the District".[97][98]

text: Each June, the CMA Music Festival (formerly known as Fan Fair) brings thousands of country fans to the city. The Tennessee State Fair is also held annually in September.

text: Nashville was once home of television shows such as Hee Haw and Pop! Goes the Country, as well as The Nashville Network and later, RFD-TV. Country Music Television and Great American Country currently operate from Nashville. The city was also home to the Opryland USA theme park, which operated from 1972 to 1997 before being closed by its owners (Gaylord Entertainment Company) and soon after demolished to make room for the Opry Mills mega-shopping mall.

text: The Contemporary Christian music industry is based along Nashville's Music Row, with a great influence in neighboring Williamson County. The Christian record companies include EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Label Group and Word Records.

text: Music Row houses many gospel music and Contemporary Christian music companies centered around 16th and 17th Avenues South.

text: Although Nashville was never known as a jazz town, it did have many great jazz bands, including The Nashville Jazz Machine led by Dave Converse and its current version, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, led by Jim Williamson, as well as The Establishment, led by Billy Adair. The Francis Craig Orchestra entertained Nashvillians from 1929 to 1945 from the Oak Bar and Grille Room in the Hermitage Hotel. Craig's orchestra was also the first to broadcast over local radio station WSM-AM and enjoyed phenomenal success with a 12-year show on the NBC Radio Network. In the late 1930s, he introduced a newcomer, Dinah Shore, a local graduate of Hume Fogg High School and Vanderbilt University.

text: Radio station WMOT-FM in nearby Murfreesboro, which formerly programmed jazz almost exclusively and still does so on the weekends, aided significantly in the recent revival of the city's jazz scene, as has the non-profit Nashville Jazz Workshop, which holds concerts and classes in a renovated building in the north Nashville neighborhood of Germantown. Fisk University also maintains a jazz station, WFSK.

text: Nashville has an active theatre scene and is home to several professional and community theatre companies. Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, the Dance Theatre of Tennessee and the Tennessee Women's Theater Project are among the most prominent professional companies. One community theatre, Circle Players, has been in operation for over 60 years.

text: Tourism[edit]

text: Perhaps the biggest factor in drawing visitors to Nashville is its association with country music. Many visitors to Nashville attend live performances of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest-running live radio show. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is another major attraction relating to the popularity of country music. The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the Opry Mills regional shopping mall and the General Jackson showboat, are all located in what is known as Music Valley.

text: Civil War history is important to the city's tourism industry. Sites pertaining to the Battle of Nashville and the nearby Battle of Franklin and Battle of Stones River can be seen, along with several well-preserved antebellum plantation houses such as Belle Meade Plantation, Carnton plantation in Franklin, and Belmont Mansion.[99]

text: Nashville has several arts centers and museums, including the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, the Tennessee State Museum, the Johnny Cash Museum, Fisk University's Van Vechten and Aaron Douglas Galleries, Vanderbilt University's Fine Art Gallery and Sarratt Gallery, and the full-scale replica of the Parthenon.

text: Major annual events[edit]

text:
Event
Month held and location

Nashville Film Festival
A weeklong festival in April that features hundreds of independent films. It is one of the largest film festivals in the Southern United States.

Nashville Fashion Week
A citywide event typically held in March or April, this is a celebration of Nashville's fashion and retail community featuring local, regional and national design talent in fashion events and shows.[100]

Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon
Marathon, half marathon, and 5k race held in April with runners from around the world. In 2012, participation surpassed 30,000 runners.

Iroquois Steeplechase
Annual steeplechase horse racing event held in May at Percy Warner Park.

CMA Music Festival
A four-day event in June featuring performances by country music stars, autograph signings, artist/fan interaction, and other activities for country music fans.

Nashville Pride
A festival held in June at Public Square Park that fosters awareness of and for the LGBT community and culture in Middle Tennessee. The 2015 festival drew an estimated 15,000-20,000 people, possibly making it the event's largest gathering since the festival began.[101]

Let Freedom Sing!
Held every Fourth of July at Riverfront Park, featuring a street festival and live music, and culminating in one of the largest fireworks shows in the country.[102] An estimated 280,000 people attended the 2014 celebration.[103]

Tomato Art Festival
Held each August in East Nashville, this event celebrates the Tomato as a Unifier.[104]

African Street Festival
Held in September on the campus of Tennessee State University. It is committed to connecting and celebrating the extensions of Africa to America.[105]

Live on the Green Music Festival
A free concert series held in August and September at Public Square Park by local radio station Lightning 100.

Tennessee State Fair
The State Fair held in September at the State Fairgrounds, which lasts nine days and includes rides, exhibits, rodeos, tractor pulls, and numerous other shows and attractions.

Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival
A free event held the first Saturday in October at Centennial Park, it is Middle Tennessee's largest multicultural festival and includes music and dance performances, ethnic food court, children's area, teen area, and marketplace.[citation needed]

Nashville Oktoberfest
A free event held in the historic Germantown neighborhood since 1980 celebrating the culture and customs of Germany.[106] Oktoberfest is Nashville's oldest annual festival and is one of the largest in the South.[107] In 2015, over 143,000 people attended the three-day event which raised $60,000 for Nashville non-profits.[108]

Southern Festival of Books
A festival held in October, featuring readings, panels, and book signings.[109]

Country Music Association Awards
Award ceremony normally held in November at the Bridgestone Arena and televised to a national audience.

Veterans Day Parade
A parade running down Broadway on 11/11 at 11:11.11 am since 1951. Features include 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Tennessee National Guard, veterans from wars past and present, military plane fly-overs, tanks, motorcycles, first responder vehicles, marching bands and thousands of spectators.[110]

text: Nicknames[edit]

text: Nashville is a colorful, well-known city in several different arenas. As such, it has earned various sobriquets, including:

text:
Music City, U.S.A.: WSM-AM announcer David Cobb first used this name during a 1950 broadcast and it stuck. It is now the official nickname used by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nashville is the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and many major record labels.[7] This name also dates back to 1874, where after receiving and hearing a performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Queen Victoria of England is reported as saying that "These young people must surely come from a musical city."[111]
Athens of the South: Home to 24 post-secondary educational institutions, Nashville has long been compared to Athens, the ancient city of learning and site of Plato's Academy. Since 1897, a full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon has stood in Nashville, and many examples of classical and neoclassical architecture can be found in the city.[112] The term was popularized by Philip Lindsley (1786–1855), President of the University of Nashville, though it is unclear whether he was the first person to use the phrase.
The Protestant Vatican[113] or The Buckle of the Bible Belt:[114] Nashville has over 700 churches,[115] several seminaries, a number of Christian music companies, and is the headquarters for the publishing arms of the Southern Baptist Convention (LifeWay Christian Resources), the United Methodist Church (United Methodist Publishing House) and the National Baptist Convention (Sunday School Publishing Board). It is also the seat of the National Baptist Convention, the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the Gideons International, the Gospel Music Association, and Thomas Nelson, the world's largest producer of Bibles.[116]
Cashville: Nashville native Young Buck released a successful rap album called Straight Outta Cashville that has popularized the nickname among a new generation.[117]
Little Kurdistan: Nashville has the United States' largest population of Kurdish people, estimated to be around 11,000.[69][118]
Nash Vegas or Nashvegas[119]

text: Nashville has additionally earned the moniker "The Hot Chicken Capital",[120] becoming known for the local specialty cuisine hot chicken.[121][122] The Music City Hot Chicken Festival is hosted annually in Nashville and several restaurants make this spicy version of southern fried chicken.[123]

text: Sports[edit]

text: Professional[edit]

text: Nashville has several professional sports teams, of which two, the Nashville Predators of the NHL and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, play at the highest professional level of their respective sports.

text:
Club
Sport
League
Venue
Founded

Tennessee Titans
American football
NFL
Nissan Stadium
1960/1997

Nashville Predators
Hockey
NHL
Bridgestone Arena
1997

Nashville Sounds
Baseball
PCL
First Tennessee Park
1978

Nashville SC
Soccer
USL
First Tennessee Park
2016

text: Nashville hosts the second oldest continually operating race track in the United States,[124] the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. It hosted NASCAR Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984, and NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Truck Series in the 1980s and 1990s, and later the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and ARCA Racing Series.

text: Nashville hosted a team called the Nashville Rebels which participated in the 1938 American Football League, and two Arena Football League teams named the Nashville Kats: one that ran from 1997 to 2001 until they were sold to Atlanta and renamed as the Georgia Force; and another expansion franchise that competed from 2005 to 2007.

text: The Nashville Invitational was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1944 to 1946. The Sara Lee Classic was part of the LPGA Tour from 1988 to 2002. The Music City Championship at Gaylord Opryland of the Champions Tour was held 1994 to 2003. The Nashville Golf Open is part of the Web.com Tour since 2016. The 1961 Women's Western Open and 1980 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship were also held at Nashville.

text: College and amateur[edit]

text: Nashville is also home to four Division I athletic programs. Nashville is also home to the NCAA college football Music City Bowl.

text:
Program
Division
Conference

Vanderbilt Commodores
Division I (FBS)
Southeastern Conference

Tennessee State Tigers
Division I (FCS)
Ohio Valley Conference

Belmont Bruins
Division I (non-football)
Ohio Valley Conference

Lipscomb Bisons
Division I (non-football)
Atlantic Sun Conference

text: The Nashville Kangaroos are an Australian Rules Football team that compete in the United States Australian Football League. The Kangaroos play their home games at Elmington Park. The team is the reigning USAFL Central Region Champions.

text: Three Little League Baseball teams from Nashville (one in 1970; one in 2013; and, one in 2014) have qualified for the Little League World Series. A team from neighboring Goodlettsville qualified for the 2012 series, giving the metropolitan area teams in three consecutive years to so qualify.

text: Parks and gardens[edit]

text: Metro Board of Parks and Recreation owns and manages 10,200 acres (4,100 ha) of land and 99 parks and greenways (comprising more than 3% of the total area of the county).

text: Warner Parks, situated on 2,684 acres (1,086 ha) of land, consists of a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) learning center, 20 miles (32 km) of scenic roads, 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails, and 10 miles (16 km) of horse trails. It is also the home of the annual Iroquois Steeplechase.

text: The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintains parks on Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest Lake. These parks are used for activities such as fishing, water skiing, sailing and boating. The Harbor Island Yacht Club makes its headquarters on Old Hickory Lake, and Percy Priest Lake is home to the Vanderbilt Sailing Club and Nashville Shores.

text: Other parks in Nashville include Centennial Park, Shelby Park, Cumberland Park, and Radnor Lake State Natural Area.

text: On August 27, 2013, Nashville mayor Karl Dean revealed plans for two new riverfront parks on the east and west banks of the Cumberland River downtown. Construction on the east bank park began in the fall of 2013, and the projected completion date for the west bank park is 2015. Among many exciting benefits of this Cumberland River re-development project is the construction of a highly anticipated outdoor amphitheater. Located on the west bank, this music venue will be surrounded by a new 12-acre (4.9 ha) park and will replace the previous thermal plant site. It will include room for 6,500 spectators with 2,500 removable seats and additional seating on an overlooking grassy knoll. In addition, the 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) east bank park will include a river landing, providing people access to the river. In regard to the parks' benefits for Nashvillian civilians, Mayor Dean remarked that "if done right, thermal site can be an iconic park that generations of Nashvillians will be proud of and which they can enjoy" (WKRN-TV Nashville).

text: Law and government[edit]

text: The city of Nashville and Davidson County merged in 1963 as a way for Nashville to combat the problems of urban sprawl. The combined entity is officially known as "the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County", and is popularly known as "Metro Nashville" or simply "Metro". It offers services such as police, fire, electricity, water and sewage treatment. When the Metro government was formed in 1963, the government was split into two service districts—the "urban services district" and the "general services district." The urban services district encompasses the 1963 boundaries of the former City of Nashville, approximately 72 square miles (190 km2),[125] and the general services district includes the remainder of Davidson County. There are six smaller municipalities within the consolidated city-county: Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Goodlettsville (partially), and Ridgetop (partially). These municipalities use a two-tier system of government, with the smaller municipality typically providing police services and the Metro Nashville government providing most other services. Previously, the city of Lakewood also had a separate charter. However, Lakewood residents voted in 2010 and 2011 to dissolve its city charter and join the metropolitan government, with both votes passing.[126]

text: Nashville is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor, and 40-member Metropolitan Council. It uses the strong-mayor form of the mayor–council system.[127] The current mayor of Nashville is Megan Barry. The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of government for Nashville and Davidson County. There are five council members who are elected at large and 35 council members that represent individual districts. The Metro Council has regular meetings that are presided over by the vice-mayor, who is currently David Briley. The Metro Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm, according to the Metropolitan Charter.

text: Nashville is home to the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for Middle Tennessee and the Estes Kefauver Federal Building and United States Courthouse, home of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

text: Politics[edit]

text: Nashville has been a Democratic stronghold since at least the end of Reconstruction, and has remained staunchly Democratic even as the state as a whole has trended strongly Republican. Pockets of Republican influence exist in the wealthier portions of the city, but they are usually no match for the overwhelming Democratic trend in the rest of the city. The issue of school busing roiled politics for years but subsided after the 1990s.[128] While local elections are officially nonpartisan, nearly all of the city's elected officials are publicly known as Democrats. The city is split between 10 state house districts, all but one of which are held by Democrats (Republican Speaker of the House Beth Harwell holds the only Republican house seat). Three state senate districts and part of a fourth are within the county; two are held by Democrats and two by Republicans.[129]

text: In the state legislature, Nashville politicians serve as leaders of both the Senate and House Democratic Caucuses. Representative Mike Stewart serves as Chairman of the House Caucus. Senator Jeff Yarbro serves as Chairman of the Senate Caucus.

text: Democrats are no less dominant at the federal level. Democratic presidential candidates have only failed to carry Davidson County five times since reconstruction; in 1928, 1968, 1972, 1984 and 1988.[130] In most years, Democrats have carried Nashville at the presidential level with relatively little difficulty, even in years when they lose Tennessee as a whole. This has been especially true in recent elections. In the 2000 presidential election, Tennessean Democrat Al Gore carried Nashville with over 59% of the vote even as he narrowly lost his home state. In the 2004 election, Democrat John Kerry carried Nashville with 55% of the vote even as George W. Bush won the state by 14 points. In 2008, Barack Obama carried Nashville with 60% of the vote even as Republican John McCain won Tennessee by 15 points.

text: Despite its large size, Nashville has been in a single congressional district for most of the time since Reconstruction; it is currently the 5th District, represented by Democrat Jim Cooper. A Republican has not represented a significant portion of Nashville since 1874. Republicans made a few spirited challenges in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. The Republicans almost won it in 1968; only a strong showing by a candidate from Wallace's American Independent Party kept the seat in Democratic hands. However, they have not made a serious bid for the district since 1972, when the Republican candidate gained only 38% of the vote even as Nixon carried the district in the presidential election by a large margin. The district's best-known congressman was probably Jo Byrns, who represented the district from 1909 to 1936 and was Speaker of the House for much of Franklin Roosevelt's first term as President. Another nationally prominent congressman from Nashville was Percy Priest, who represented the district from 1941 to 1956 and was House Majority Whip from 1949 to 1953. Former mayors Richard Fulton and Bill Boner also sat in the U.S. House before assuming the Metro mayoral office.

text: From 2003 to 2013, a sliver of southwestern Nashville was located in the 7th District, represented by Republican Marsha Blackburn. This area was roughly coextensive with the portion of Nashville she'd represented in the state senate from 1998 to 2002. However, the 5th regained all of Nashville after the 2010 census.

text: Education[edit]

text: Public schools[edit]

text: The city is served by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

text: Private schools[edit]

text:
Christ Presbyterian Academy
Davidson Academy
Donelson Christian Academy
Ensworth School
Father Ryan High School
Franklin Road Academy
Goodpasture Christian School
Harding Academy
Harpeth Hall School
Lipscomb Academy
Madison Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy
Nashville Christian School
Pope John Paul II High School
St. Cecilia Academy
St. Paul Christian Academy
University School of Nashville

text: *St. Bernard Academy

text: Colleges and universities[edit]

text: Nashville is often labeled the "Athens of the South" due to the many colleges and universities in the city and the metropolitan area.[112] The colleges and universities in Nashville include:

text:
Name
Affiliation
Enrollment

American Baptist College

Aquinas College
Roman Catholic

Belmont University

6,647

Daymar College

Fisk University
United Church of Christ (HBCU)
800

John A. Gupton College

Lipscomb University
Churches of Christ
4,278

Meharry Medical College
United Methodist Church (HBCU)
700

Nashville School of Law

Nashville Auto Diesel College (a NAFTC Training Center)

Nashville State Community College

9,853

Tennessee State University
HBCU
10,389

Trevecca Nazarene University
Nazarene
3,500

Vanderbilt University

12,567

Watkins College of Art, Design & Film

400

Welch College
Free Will Baptists
338

text: Within 30 miles (48 km) of Nashville in Murfreesboro is Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), a full-sized public university with Tennessee's second largest undergraduate population. Enrollment in post-secondary education in Nashville is around 43,000. Within the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area—which includes MTSU, Cumberland University (Lebanon), Volunteer State Community College (Gallatin), Daymar College, and O'More College of Design (Franklin)—total enrollment exceeds 74,000. Within a 40 miles (64 km) radius are Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) and Columbia State Community College (Columbia), enrolling an additional 13,600.

text: Nashville is home to four historically black institutions of higher education: Fisk University, Tennessee State University, Meharry Medical College, and American Baptist College.[131]

text: Media[edit]

text: The daily newspaper in Nashville is The Tennessean, which until 1998 competed with the Nashville Banner, another daily paper that was housed in the same building under a joint-operating agreement. The Tennessean is the city's most widely circulated newspaper. Online news service NashvillePost.com competes with the printed dailies to break local and state news. Several weekly papers are also published in Nashville, including The Nashville Pride, Nashville Business Journal, Nashville Scene and The Tennessee Tribune. Historically, The Tennessean was associated with a broadly liberal editorial policy, while The Banner carried staunchly conservative views in its editorial pages; The Banner's heritage had been carried on, to an extent, by The City Paper which folded in August 2013 after having been founded in October 2000. The Nashville Scene is the area's alternative weekly broadsheet. The Nashville Pride is aimed towards community development and serves Nashville's entrepreneurial population. Nashville Post is an online news source covering business, politics and sports.

text: Nashville is home to eleven broadcast television stations, although most households are served by direct cable network connections. Comcast Cable has a monopoly on terrestrial cable service in Davidson County (but not throughout the entire media market). Nashville is ranked as the 29th largest television market in the United States.[132] Major stations include WKRN-TV 2 (ABC), WSMV-TV 4 (NBC), WTVF 5 (CBS), WNPT 8 (PBS), WZTV 17 (Fox), WNPX-TV 28 (ion), WPGD-TV 50 (TBN), WLLC-LP 42 (Univision), WUXP-TV 30 (MyNetworkTV), and WNAB 58 (CW).[133]

text: Nashville is also home to cable networks Country Music Television (CMT), among others. CMT's master control facilities are located in New York City with the other Viacom properties. The Top 20 Countdown and CMT Insider are taped in their Nashville studios. Shop at Home Network was once based in Nashville, but the channel signed off in 2008.

text: Several dozen FM and AM radio stations broadcast in the Nashville area, including five college stations and one LPFM community radio station. Nashville is ranked as the 44th largest radio market in the United States. WSM-FM is owned by Cumulus Media and is 95.5 FM. WSM-AM, owned by Gaylord Entertainment Company, can be heard nationally on 650 AM or online at WSM Online from its studios located inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. WSM is famous for carrying live broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry, through which it helped spread the popularity of country music in America, and continues to broadcast country music throughout its broadcast day. WLAC, whose over-the-air signal is heard at 1510 AM, is a iHeartMedia-owned talk station which was originally sponsored by the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee, and its competitor WWTN is owned by Cumulus.

text: Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Nashville, including The Green Mile, The Last Castle, Gummo, The Thing Called Love, Two Weeks, Coal Miner's Daughter, Nashville,[134] and Country Strong, as well as the ABC television series Nashville.

text: Transportation[edit]

text: Road[edit]

text: Nashville is centrally located at the crossroads of three Interstate Highways: I-40, I-24, and I-65. Interstate 440 is a bypass route connecting I-40, I-65, and I-24 south of downtown Nashville. Briley Parkway connects the north side of the city and its interstates. Interstate 840 provides a southern Bypass for the city, and a Bypass for I-40 for the city and its suburbs. A number of arterial surface roads called "pikes" radiate from the city center; many carry the names of nearby towns to which they lead. Among these are Clarksville Pike, Gallatin Pike, Lebanon Pike, Murfreesboro Pike, Nolensville Pike, and Franklin Pike.

text: Bus[edit]

text: The Metropolitan Transit Authority provides bus transit within the city, out of a newly built hub station downtown. Routes utilize a hub and spoke method. Expansion plans include use of Bus rapid transit for new routes, with the possibility for local rail service at some point in the future.

text: Nashville is considered a gateway city for rail and air traffic for the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion.[135]

text: Air[edit]

text: The city is served by Nashville International Airport (BNA), which was a hub for American Airlines between 1986 and 1995 and is now a focus city for Southwest Airlines. During 2011, Nashville International was the 34th busiest passenger airport in the U.S. with a total of 4,673,047 passenger boardings.[136] Major airlines serving Nashville include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, WestJet, Alaska Airlines,[137] JetBlue Airways,[138] British Airways and AirCanada.[139] AirTran Airways offered limited routing to the airport until it was deemed unprofitable.[citation needed] In late 2014, BNA became the first major US airport to authorize ridesharing services with dedicated pick-up and drop-off areas.[140]

text: Rail[edit]

text: Amtrak[edit]

text: Although a major freight hub for CSX Transportation, Nashville is not currently served by Amtrak, the second-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. to have this distinction.[141] Amtrak's Floridian (Chicago to Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida via Louisville and Nashville) served Nashville until its cancellation on October 9, 1979 due to poor track conditions resulting in late trains and low ridership.

text: While there have been no proposals to restore Amtrak service to Nashville, there have been repeated calls from residents.[142] However, Tennessee state officials have advised it will not be happening anytime soon due to scarce federal funding. "It would be wonderful to say I can be in Memphis and jump on a train to Nashville, but the volume of people who would do that isn't anywhere close to what the cost would be to provide the service," said Ed Cole, chief of environment and planning with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.[142] Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, said rail trips would catch on if routes were expanded, but conceded that it would be nearly impossible to resume Amtrak service to Nashville without a substantial investment from the state because federal money has dried up.[142]

text: Commuter[edit]

text: Nashville launched a passenger commuter rail system called the Music City Star on September 18, 2006. The only currently operational leg of the system connects the city of Lebanon to downtown Nashville at the Nashville Riverfront station. Legs to Clarksville, Murfreesboro and Gallatin are currently in the feasibility study stage. The system plan includes seven legs connecting Nashville to surrounding suburbs.

text: Bridges within the city include:

text:
Official name
Other names
Length
Date opened

Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge
Gateway Bridge
1,660 feet (510 m)
May 19, 2004

Kelly Miller Smith Bridge
Jefferson Street Bridge

March 2, 1994

Old Hickory Bridge

1929

Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge
Bordeaux Bridge

September 18, 1980

John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Shelby Street Bridge
3,150 feet (960 m)
July 5, 1909

Silliman Evans Bridge

2,362 feet (720 m)
1963

Victory Memorial Bridge

July 2, 1956

William Goodwin Bridge
Hobson Pike Bridge
2,215 feet (675 m)

Woodland Street Bridge

639 feet (195 m)

text: Sister cities[edit]

text: Nashville is an active participant in the sister cities program and has relationships with the following towns and cities:[143]

text:
Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
Caen (France)[144]
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
Kamakura (Japan)
Magdeburg (Germany)[145]
Mendoza (Argentina)
Taiyuan, Shanxi (China)
Tamworth, New South Wales (Australia)

text: Gwangjin-gu (South Korea)

text: Crouy (France)

text: El Port de la Selva (Spain)