New study upends decades-old narrative about Democrats and the white working class

The Working Class Has Left the Building

Dealignment from the Democratic Party now extends to every demographic group.

New study upends decades-old narrative about Democrats and the white working class

A new study published in Political Research Quarterly casts doubt a widely accepted view of American political history. For years, scholars and pundits have argued that the Democratic Party once held the strong support of the white working class—only to lose it starting in the 1960s due to the party’s embrace of civil rights and liberal social issues. But political scientist Jeffrey M. Stonecash finds that this story doesn’t match the historical…