A new report from the Center for Working Class Politics and author Joan Williams reveals a profound class divide within the Democratic Party, threatening its ability to form a winning coalition. The study, "The Left's Coalition Crisis," finds that working-class voters overwhelmingly prioritize economic issues, while college-educated professionals focus on cultural and symbolic concerns, creating a rift that could cost Democrats elections.
Working-Class Priorities Are Economic
According to the report, of the top 12 political priorities listed by working-class respondents, 11 are economic concerns, with lowering the crime rate being the sole non-economic issue. In contrast, educated upper-income respondents rated cultural and symbolic issues higher, with only six of their top 12 priorities being economic. They also prioritized abstract ideals like "resisting authoritarianism" over concrete ones like "protecting social security," and "ending racism" above "protecting Medicaid."
The largest attitude gaps between the two groups were on culture, climate, crime, and immigration—issues that many college-educated liberals have built their political identities around. The authors argue that these cultural priorities not only fail to address working-class economic frustrations but also define liberalism itself, as Democratic primaries are dominated by educated upper-income voters.
Costly Signaling and Condescension
Abbott and Williams demonstrate that signaling allegiance to such priorities is far from costless. Embracing the values and slogans of the privileged tells working-class voters that candidates are aloof to or ignorant of their concerns. The authors note that college graduates in Europe and the US "are more biased against the less-educated than any other stigmatized group," including racial, religious, and sexual minorities. Blue-collar workers sense this condescension in injunctions to "be kind" and resent attempts at moral re-education.
Even on economic issues, the priorities diverge. While working-class voters focus on jobs, wages, and economic growth, educated knowledge workers are mainly concerned with high costs—a function of their privileged class position. College-educated workers earn 60% to 80% more on average than their non-college-educated counterparts, and the top 20% of income earners drive nearly 60% of all consumer spending. For many, consumption, not production, defines their economic lives, making them sensitive to price increases.
Globalization and Place-Loyalty
Working-class voters experience economic frustration differently, driven by the devaluing of work and long-term wage stagnation. Globalization plays a major role, with free trade shuttering factories and mass migration eroding manual workers' wages. While professional-class status is portable across cities like London, New York, or Washington DC, working-class status is tied to place, making place-loyalty crucial. Democrats now represent nine of the top 10 highest-income congressional districts, benefiting from low-wage immigrant labor and cheap foreign goods, while blue-collar workers suffer.
The report suggests a path forward by focusing on issues that win support from both groups. Their proposed program includes allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, protecting and improving social security, spending $150bn on infrastructure, expanding Medicaid, increasing education spending, and raising the minimum wage.
Building a Working-Class Agenda
To truly bridge the divide, the authors advocate for an even greater emphasis on working-class priorities. This includes new trade rules, revitalized national industry, and pro-labor immigration reform to right the wrongs of globalism. They also propose expansive family policies, such as free childbirth, national paid parental leave, and affordable childcare. Additionally, making local police and fire departments a national priority would speak directly to felt needs for safety.
Putting working-class priorities first will inevitably create political tensions around gender, immigration, and class itself. But navigating these fights is necessary for progressives to expand their coalition. As Dustin Guastella, a research associate at the Center for Working Class Politics, writes, "Maybe professional-class progressives could learn a thing or two from their working-class counterparts."
