The Working Class Has Left the Building
Dealignment from the Democratic Party now extends to every demographic group.
30 Articles by: Jared Abbott
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Jared Abbott is a researcher at the Center for Working-Class Politics and a contributor to Jacobin and Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy.
Analysis: Kamala Harris Turned Away From Economic Populism
Pressed by influential corporate advisors, Kamala Harris ran away from a winning economic populist message and ended up losing a campaign. We have the proof.
Dealignment: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
All of a sudden, mainstream politicians and pundits are talking about class dealignment in American elections. We at Jacobin have published on dealignment for years — and wrote a short guide about why it’s such a pressing political issue.
Liberal Dominance of Cultural Institutions Hurt the Left
A new book, Polarized by Degrees, argues that college-educated voters have come to dominate the Democratic Party and cultural institutions while Americans without a college degree feel increasingly alienated by the party’s technocratic worldview.
The Working Class Has Left the Building
Dealignment from the Democratic Party now extends to every working-class demographic group. Here’s some important data that shows the depth of the problem.
A Matter of Degrees
Trump’s strength with non-college-educated voters is sinking progressives.
Why Do So Many Workers Love Trump?
Racism and xenophobia are a part of why so many ordinary workers were won over to Donald Trump, but that’s far from the whole story. A careful study breaks down how Trump spoke to economic grievances and personal experiences.
Rural Voter Blues
Contrary to what you’ve heard, progressives actually can reach rural voters.
An Economist’s Guide to Beating Neoliberalism
In Left Behind, economist Paul Collier tells a convincing tale of how market fundamentalism created inequality. He offers welcome solutions to global and regional disparities — but gives little attention to the kind of politics required to realize his aims.
Class Dealignment Is the Defining Political Challenge of Our Time
The evidence is overwhelming: workers are abandoning the Democrats and center-left parties around the world. Class dealignment is radically changing politics, and the Left needs a program to win the working class.
The Making and Unmaking of the American Dream
The New York Times’ David Leonhardt has written a compelling overview of the improbable rise and spectacular fall of the New Deal order. But he understates the difficulty in reviving a form of American social democracy.
Democrats Aren’t Campaigning to Win the Working Class
A new study examines the Democratic rhetorical and campaigning failures that may help Republicans entrench their position as the new party of the American working class.
Dealignment of the Faithful?
It’s tempting to see America’s declining religiosity as nothing but good news for the Democrats. The real picture is more complicated.
Can Democrats Reverse the Neoliberal Era’s Dealignment?
A new study clearly shows that Democratic candidates aren’t embracing progressive economic demands. Is it any wonder why more and more working-class people are tuning these politicians out?
Debating Class Dealignment
Class dealignment posits that Democrats have been losing working-class voters in favor of middle- and upper-class voters. Is this actually happening? And to what extent is it a problem?
Why We Need Union Halls in Every Town
Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol’s Rust Belt Union Blues makes a compelling case that left-wing success in the rust belt depends on reviving the presence and stature of unions — and the sense of social connection they offer — in local communities.
Just How Bad Were UN Sanctions Against Iraq?
The impact of UN sanctions on Iraq has been difficult to quantify — and that’s part of the problem.
Is QAnon Destroying American Democracy?
Conspiracy theories are common and dangerous, but they probably can’t explain why Americans don’t trust the government.
A Populism of the Left Can Realign American Politics
It’s clear that the GOP is capturing new parts of the working class. It’ll take credible appeals to workers’ frustrations and economic interests to win them back.
Inflation: Friend or Foe of the Left?
Across the world, inflation doesn’t necessarily stop the Left from winning elections, but it severely limits what leftists can do once in office.