Political analysts and economists [not employed by right-wing think tanks (Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, and others too numerous to list), right-wing universities (George Mason, Baylor, etc), right-wing media (Fox News, talk radio, local television stations and almost all newspapers outside of The Guardian) and pr consulting firms] often wonder why ordinary white people (those with middle incomes and or less) vote republican.
These analysts assert that ordinary white people who vote republican are voting against their economic interests.
Why this is so is the subject of the Resources below.
Resources:
Debt in America: An Interactive Map from The Urban Institute.
Credit can be a lifeline during emergencies and a bridge to education and homeownership. But debt, which can stem from credit or unpaid bills, often burdens families and communities and exacerbates wealth inequality. This map shows the geography of debt in America at the national, state, and county levels. How does your community compare?
Last updated April 5, 2018
Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality in America (Updated) from The Urban Institute.
Why hasn’t wealth inequality improved over the past 50 years? And why, in particular, has the racial wealth gap not closed? These nine charts illustrate how income inequality, earnings gaps, homeownership rates, retirement savings, student loan debt, and lopsided asset-building subsidies have contributed to these growing wealth disparities. This story was updated with new data on October 5, 2017.
The 2016 Exit Polls Led Us to Misinterpret the 2016 Election New York Times, By Thomas B. Edsall March 29, 2018
Wide Gender Gap, Growing Educational Divide in Voters’ Party Identification;
College graduates increasingly align with Democratic Party [Full Text HTML] [Full Text PDF] March 20, 2018 from The Pew Research Center.
Does the White Working Class Really Vote Against Its Own Interests?
Trump’s first year in office revived an age-old debate about why some people choose race over class—and how far they will go to protect the system. From Politico By JOSHUA ZEITZ December 31, 2017
Why Do White Working-Class People Vote Against Their Interests? They Don’t. – Corporate Democrats have never advanced their interests—and at least Republicans offer a persuasive story about why they are getting screwed. From The Nation By Kirk Noden NOVEMBER 17, 2016.
Survey: the poor white working class was, if anything, more likely than the rich to vote for Clinton – It wasn’t the economy, but racism and xenophobia, that explains Trump’s rise.
From Vox By German Lopez May 9, 2017, 3:00pm EDT
Research says there are ways to reduce racial bias. Calling people racist isn’t one of them.
The challenge for anti-racists looking for solutions in Trump’s America.
From Vox By German Lopez Updated Aug 14, 2017
Why Does the (White) Lower Middle Class Vote Republican? From Huffington Post, 10/31/2015 03:21 pm ET Updated Oct 31, 2016
It Was Cultural Anxiety That Drove White, Working-Class Voters to Trump
A new study finds that fear of societal change, not economic pressure, motivated votes for the president among non-salaried workers without college degrees. From The Atlantic EMMA GREEN MAY 9, 2017
Why Do People Vote Against Their Best Interests? – Why support a leader who will harm rather than help you? from Psychology Today by Ronald E Riggio Ph.D. Posted Dec 12, 2017
