Will Trump’s Racist Attacks Help Him? Ask Blue-Collar White Women.

Donald Trump’s turn toward more overt racism in his “go back” attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color rests on an unspoken bet: that the women who are part of his core constituencies will respond to his acrimony as enthusiastically as the men. But polling throughout Trump’s presidency has indicated […] Read more »

There Are Really Two Distinct White Working Classes

… Marginal shifts in partisan balloting by the white working class have been a crucial determinant in the outcome of elections since 1968. This non-college white constituency — pollster shorthand for both the white working class and the white middle class without college degrees — makes up a massive bloc […] Read more »

How Americans’ Economic Views Define — and Defy — Party Lines

Americans hold varying beliefs about the causes of inequality and the role of wealthy people in society. These stories largely break down along partisan lines. Democrats generally emphasize an unfair economy and the negative effects of wealth. Republicans commonly attribute economic fortunes to hard work and talent, and see wealthy […] Read more »

Biden, unions and the politics of 2020

Shortly after former Vice President Joe Biden announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, he received his first union endorsement. “I couldn’t be more proud to have the International Association of Fire Fighters on my team,” Biden tweeted in response. “Unions built the middle class in this country […] Read more »

Biden Accelerates the Democratic Fight About the White Working Class

White working-class voters’ share of the electorate may be shrinking even faster now than in recent years, new data suggest. But that dynamic shows no signs of dampening the growing debate among Democrats about how heavily the party should focus on recapturing the blue-collar whites who have become the foundation […] Read more »