To win over working class voters, Democrats need to stop talking about democracy
A new report by researchers suggests that the Democratic Party is struggling to connect with working-class voters by focusing too heavily on social justice issues. The authors argue that Democrats must prioritize economic security and respect traditional values to build a sustainable political coalition.
Why it matters
This analysis highlights a critical strategic divide within the Democratic Party regarding how to effectively appeal to a broader, non-college-educated electorate.
There's an active debate in Democratic politics between progressives and moderates about how to build a winning coalition.
A new report from a pair of California researchers, shared exclusively with NPR, argues that debate misses the point. The answer isn't centrism, they write, it's respect for where working-class voters are coming from.
"It's about understanding that people need a sense of personal and economic security before they will support the changes progressives are calling for," the authors write.
The report's authors are, to put a label on it, college-educated coastal elites. Joan C. Williams is a law professor from San Francisco who is known for her work in diversity equity and inclusion. Jared Abbott leads the Center for Working Class Politics and has a PhD from Harvard. Their intended audience is people who share their progressive politics.
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