 Its central location makes it a transportation crossroads for river boats, railroads, autos, trucks, and airplanes.Politically, the region swings back and forth between the parties, and thus is heavily contested and often decisive in elections.After the sociological study "Middletown" (1929), which was based on Muncie, Indiana, commentators used Midwestern cities (and the Midwest generally) as "typical" of the nation.