Center for American Progress

The Working-Class Push for Progressive Economic Policies
Article

The Working-Class Push for Progressive Economic Policies

Authors David Madland and Alex Rowell examine workers' opinions on economic policy, finding that working-class whites, blacks, and Hispanics want elected officials to make the economy work better for them.

Pundits and policymakers are increasingly talking about the importance of reaching out to working-class Americans. Unfortunately, discussions of the working class are too often based on assumptions and stereotypes rather than evidence about who makes up the working class and what they want. Previous research from the Center for American Progress Action Fund showed that the working class—defined as the members of the labor force without a four-year college degree—is much more diverse than it is typically portrayed: It consists of large numbers of women, workers of color, and service-sector workers as well as the often-discussed white men in goods-producing industries.

The above excerpt was originally published in CAP Action. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

David Madland

Senior Fellow; Senior Adviser, American Worker Project

Alex Rowell

Policy Analyst